


Have the Wish

by MelyndaR



Series: Star series [3]
Category: Courageous (2011)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 21:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 26,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3149495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelyndaR/pseuds/MelyndaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Olivia has changed her wish now that she has her daddy, but will this one be granted too? At least a little girl understands that where there is a princess, there is a queen. And where there is a queen, there should most definitely be... King David.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Occasional appearances of "Fireproof" characters and the Love Dare included.

Amanda – Latin – Worthy of love

David – Hebrew – Beloved

* * *

June 2, 2012

Amanda yelped, slamming her head on the open cabinet door, when Olivia used her leg as an anchor and swung around, skidding to a standstill between Amanda and the counter.

"He's gonna get me!" the four year old shrieked.

"Well, I might just let him!" Amanda exclaimed, rubbing the spot on her head that she had rammed into the corner of the door.

David appeared in the kitchen doorway, smiling. His smile fell when he noticed that she had hit her head.

"Hey, are you okay? What happened?"

Amanda shook her head. "I'm fine. The door here decided to attack me, that's all."

David held up the fake gun that he had most likely previously been threatening Olivia with, trying not to grin. "Should I shoot it?"

Amanda laughed, rolling her eyes. "Be my guest. It won't help though."

"Poor Amanda, let me see."

He walked across the room towards her, stopping only when he stood directly in front of her. He brushed her bangs back off of her forehead, running his thumb over the bruise that Amanda knew was forming. He kissed the spot gently.

"Better?"

She nodded, because he had officially stolen her breath away. He smiled timidly at her, realizing what he had just done.

"I – I'm sorry." He stammered. "I – I shouldn't have – I shouldn't have done that."

Amanda laughed lightly, awkwardly, extraordinarily grateful that Olivia seemed to have disappeared, and turned to the counter, turning her back to David. "It's fine." She managed to choke out.

They stood in awkward silence for a minute before David broke it, asking, "What's for lunch?"

She cleared her throat and gratefully grabbed at the chance to resurface and begin breathing again. "Chef's salad, if that's okay."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Do you want some help?"

She laughed because that was the second time today that he had offered to assist her with something around the house. And he didn't even live here.

"Knock yourself out." She answered, getting dishes out of the cabinet.

When she turned back towards him, he was cutting up the head of lettuce. She smiled again and dug the salad dressing out of the refrigerator. Placing it on the table beside the cutting board, she asked, "You're planning on cutting that smaller aren't you? It's going in Olivia's mouth too, not just yours."

David smiled and picked up a tiny piece. "Like this?"

Amanda nodded.

She gasped when David flicked the piece at her and it hit her right on the tip of her nose. He laughed.

She smiled. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you?"

He nodded.

"Oh, well, let's see how you like this!"

Amanda picked up a pile of the lettuce and threw it at his face. He gaped at her and she burst out laughing. Her laughter turned to screams as he pointed the spray hose from the sink at her and pressed the button, drenching her shirt in lukewarm water.

* * *

Hearing all of the commotion, Olivia darted into the kitchen from the hallway. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen, laughing, although her parents failed to notice her.

Daddy was spraying Mommy with the hose and laughing. "How do you like  _that_?" he asked.

Her answer was to turn the faucet off. "I cannot  _believe_ that you did that!" Mommy huffed.

Daddy just arched his eyebrows.

Mommy smiled. "Okay, fine, I can."

Olivia started laughing again and Mommy and Daddy both whirled towards her, noticing her at last. "You look silly!" she informed them.

"I know." Mommy said, looking down at her shirt. "By the way, don't you  _ever_  use the hose like that, are we clear?"

Olivia nodded. "I know not to."

Mommy gave Daddy a pointed look. " _She_  knows not to."

Olivia looked at the lettuce littering the floor. "I know not to throw my food either."

Mommy blushed and Daddy's shoulders went up and down as he tried and failed to disguise a laugh behind a cough. He gave Mommy a look like the one that she had just given him and the corner of her mouth went up in a timid smile.

Daddy's swept a pretend hat off of his head and bowed at the waist to Mommy. "You win this round, Milady."

* * *

"Milady?" Amanda repeated timidly.

 _No one_ in her circles – church, work, and Olivia's daycare – had called her a lady in five years. As soon as she said the word, she realized that she sounded just like Olivia had earlier that day when David had called her a princess.

David smiled softly, most likely guessing her thoughts, and straightened up, nodding. "But of course. Every princess has a mother, and – correct me if I'm wrong – the princess's mother is a queen, right? Hence, 'milady'."

Amanda smiled as the two of them got down on the floor and started cleaning up the lettuce and water. "I guess so, not that it's much of a palace."

David shrugged. "It's a home. A lot of kids don't have that. That has to say something."

Amanda was startled to feel herself blushing. "Thank you."

"No. Thank  _you_. I couldn't do what you've done here with Olivia. You're a much bigger person then I am. You always have been. I'd say you're better too."

Amanda shook her head. "I've just done what I believe is the right thing to do."

"And for that, you're a very brave person."

Again Amanda shook her head. "Brave is standing there and shooting at some guy who's shooting back at you."

Amanda was startled when David laughed. "If that's true, then why have I never been so scared as I was sitting down and writing that letter to you?"

Amanda considered that. "You know what? You're right. That has got to be the scariest thing that I've ever done."

David arched his eyebrows. "Writing my letter?"

Amanda hit him on the forehead with a piece of lettuce and he laughed. "Me writing the reply letter. Now, quit being a pain and get the chicken out of the refrigerator."

They stood up.

"Chicken?" David asked in confusion. "But I thought that you were a vegetarian?"

Amanda laughed. "Oh, no. A friend of mine dared me to put that bumper sticker on my car. Personally, I like my bacon, thanks."

David grinned. "I knew that there was a reason I liked you!"

 


	2. Chapter 2

David shifted on the couch in the living room later that evening as the credits to a Disney princess movie rolled.

From across the room, in the recliner, Amanda remarked, "Does it occur to you that she has been asleep for the past half hour, and yet we still finished the movie?"

"She is?" David craned his neck, trying to see the face of the pretty little girl curled up on his lap.

Amanda nodded.

David smiled softly, allowing himself to gently pull his young daughter closer to him. "Is it bedtime?" he inquired of her mother.

"Just about." Amanda replied.

"Do you want me to go put her in bed or what?"

The hazel-eyed beauty across from him shrugged. "Sure."

David eased up off of the couch, trying not to shift Olivia. She stirred anyway, her long eyelashes fluttering as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Do you want to go to bed?" David murmured softly.

Being a four year old, Olivia shook her head. "I haven't gotten ready yet." She explained.

"Okay." David set her on her feet on the carpet and she took off down the hallway. As he settled back down on the couch, Amanda yawned. "I should leave." David decided, moving to stand.

"No, no." Amanda waved him back to his seat. "It's fine."

David shrugged and relaxed back onto the couch.

"If you don't mind," Amanda said. "I'll be right back."

Again he shrugged. "Don't mind me."

Amanda stood up and headed down the hallway to her bedroom. David rubbed his eyes and when his vision cleared, he saw Olivia standing in the doorway, looking around for Amanda.

"Mommy will be right back." David informed her. "Is there something that I could do for you?"

Olivia bit her lip and looked at the hairbrush in her hand.

"Ahh… I can brush your hair, if you want." David volunteered.

Olivia gave him an assessing look before nodding, apparently deciding that he wouldn't rip all of her hair out and leave her bald. She crossed the room, handing the brush to him. David slid onto the floor resting his back against the couch and sitting cross-legged, and Olivia sat down in front of him, facing forward. David leaned forward, gently running the brush through his daughter's silky hair.

"You know, I used to brush my mom's and sister's hair when I was your age." David informed Olivia.

"You have a sister and mommy?"

David nodded. "M-hm. My sister's name is Wendy."

"When did you get her from the hospital?"

"Huh? Oh, I get what you mean. Well, it didn't work quite like that for my mom and dad. Wendy was adopted."

"What's that?"

David smiled at her inquisitiveness and answered the question as best as he knew how to.

* * *

Amanda padded down the hallway, stopping in the doorway. Unnoticed by both father and daughter, she smiled to see them sitting on the floor where David was actually brushing their daughter's hair.

_Mine. Oh, forget it! He's gonna be fine for her. She belongs to the both of you._

Amanda took a step back into the hallway, into the shadows, and took a picture on her phone of the scene before her. She stayed where she was, listening in, letting curiosity get the better of her.

"Are you 'dopted?" Olivia asked curiously, absently winding a thread from her pajamas around her finger.

David opened his mouth to answer, and Amanda saw his eyes fill with thought. "Well, not by my mom and dad, but Jesus has adopted me."

"What's that mean?" Olivia asked, her face pinching with confusion.

"Well, it means that… when I die, I'm going to have a place in Heaven with Jesus and His Daddy because Jesus died for me and came back to life when He lived here on earth, before going back to Heaven."

Olivia turned her head to look at David, and he casually turned it back to the angle that he needed it in. "But you're not going to die for a long time, are you?" Olivia asked in concern.

David raised his eyebrows. "I sure don't intend to."

"Well, anyway, that 'dopted stuff sounds confusing."

David smiled and patted her back to indicate that he was done brushing her hair. "I'll explain it better when you're older."

"'Kay." Olivia changed her position so that she was sitting back on her feet, facing David. She looked at him skeptically, asking. "Does that mean that you're going to be here for a long time?"

David nodded. "I live near here and I'll be with you as often as I can."

Olivia's head tilted to the side when she asked, "But why?"

Amanda sensed the honesty in his voice when he answered, "Because you're my little princess and I love you too much to be anywhere else."

"Do you love Mommy too?" Olivia asked innocently.

 _Out of the mouths of babes_ , Amanda thought.

She was surprised when David took time with his answer. "We're friends." He answered carefully.

Olivia accepted this without another comment about it.

"So are you ready for bed, then?" David asked.

"I still have to tell Mommy 'g'night'."

"I'm right here." Amanda said, stepping out of the hallway and making her presence known.

* * *

David's breath caught for a second when Amanda stepped into view. Barefoot and wearing a t-shirt and pair of leopard print pajama pants, she looked really pretty.

_Maybe listening to Nathan's advice wouldn't be so bad…Wait a second here, what is wrong with you?!_

David closed his eyes for a second and opened them again as Olivia ran to give her mother a good night hug. Then Olivia turned and ran back to him.

"Can you turn off my light, Daddy?" she asked sweetly.

"Is that okay with Mommy?"

Amanda shrugged. "Sure."

David unfolded his legs and stood up. Olivia took his hand and led him down the hallway into her bedroom. Once there, he flipped on the light as she crawled into her bed, grabbing the white Bible on her bedside table.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked.

She wordlessly held the Bible out to him and he knelt beside her bed, taking it.

"We have to say my verse."

"Okay. Well, where is it?"

"Psalms 100."

"All of it?" David asked, flipping through the Bible.

Olivia nodded.

"Wow, I'm impressed."

She granted him a huge smile and her eyes lit up. "It's a song."

"Is it?"

Again she nodded.

"Well, I guess that I'll just try and follow along, okay?"

Olivia nodded, beginning to sing, putting the verses to a tune. David smiled, listening to his little girl sing, and trying to do the same. When the song ended, Olivia slid off of her bed, falling to her knees beside David. David bowed his head when she did, listening.

Her first words caught David in such a way that he opened his eyes and just stared at his daughter. "Dear Father,"

He shifted, trying not to disturb her as she continued. "Help me and Mommy to sleep good. And Daddy, too, now. And help Miss Kate and Miss Helen at daycare. And help Mommy with her new job. And Daddy with his, too. And help me to be good. In Jesus' name, amen."

"Amen." David murmured.

Olivia lifted her head and crawled back into her bed, pulling the covers over her. "I'm all ready now." She informed him.

David placed a kiss on her forehead and tucked the blankets in around her. "Good night, princess."

"Good night, Daddy."

David flipped off the light, standing in her bedroom doorway. "I love you."

As he shut the door, he heard her small voice say, "I love you more."

David smiled to himself and whispered, "I doubt it."


	3. Chapter 3

Amanda walked down the hallway, coming to stand to the side of Olivia's closed doorway, opposite David. He opened his mouth to say something, but she held up a finger, indicating that he should hold on, and pressed her ear to the door. As she had half expected, she heard the rustling of blankets that meant that Olivia had gotten out of bed.

Giving Amanda a quizzical look, David copied her action. Both of them just stood there, listening to the one thing in the world that connected them one to the other. He caught her eye and she smiled. He smiled back as Olivia began to speak to the stars.

"Starlight, star bright/ first star I see tonight/ I wish I may/ I wish I might/ have the wish/ I wish tonight." She broke off from whatever she was going to wish for to explain to the stars, "I know that I usually do this on church day, but today was more special than church day will be and I have a new  _really_ special wish and it can't wait. It's too important. I want my daddy and mommy to get married. Everybody else's mommy and daddy are married. Daddy and Mommy make each other happy, I saw.

And Daddy forgot something about princesses and queens. A princess needs a queen, but a queen needs a king, too. And there's a King David in the Bible, so I think that God likes King Davids. I want Daddy to be Mommy's king. So, please?"

Amanda froze, staring at David in wide-eyes shock. His expression mirrored hers. After a moment, they both backed away from the door and went up the hallway.

"What are we supposed to make of that?" David asked hesitantly.

Amanda shook her head. "Give her time, maybe she'll get a clearer picture of what's going on. I don't know. I hope." She sighed, and something inside of her cracked. Before she could register the words, they were out of her mouth, and she was somehow on the terrifying subject of marriage. "David, I don't know how to deal with that! I know it's what's Biblical and what's best for her, and that what you said Nathan said won't leave me alone, but…" She eased back onto the couch, and whispered, "I don't know."

* * *

David took a seat at the other end of the couch, watching the woman before him.

Her tone during those last three words showed something that he had never seen in her before. Ever. She had seemed numb when she had told him that she was pregnant. She had been furious when he told her to get an abortion. She had been cold to him after that while they were still in college. She had been wary, then friendly, this past week.

But never before could he remember her seeming… weak.

He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything.

"What are we supposed to do?" she asked, still sounding so uncertain. "What  _is_ the Biblical answer?"

"The closest I can find? That we should have been stoned to death back in college." He meant it as a joke, and it coaxed a smile out of her.

She rested her cheek on her fist, propping her elbow on her knee. "Levitical law no longer applies, as I'm sure you know."

David glanced around the room, trying to find a safe place for his gaze to land as he said, "We both know that Nathan is right. If at all possible, that's what we should do." He couldn't say the word aloud. Marriage.

She sighed and curled her legs onto the couch, her back against the armrest. "But is it possible?"

"Well, my only complaint was that you were a vegetarian."

"But I'm not." She pointed out. "And besides, you have to have a better opinion than that."

"I honestly don't know you that well, let's be honest here. I told you all about me, and you told me all about Olivia, but what do I know about you? Pretty much nothing."

"Well," she asked him the question that he had posed to her a week ago. "What do you want to know?"

He smiled and returned the question with her original answer. "Whatever. Anything. Everything would be nice too."

And that was how David Thomson ended up slipping out of Amanda Williams house not a second before midnight. He climbed into his car and started the engine, but didn't make a move to back out of the driveway.

His family was inside of that house. His girl. His girl _s_. Amanda was his too.

Because, by the end of the month, she was going to be his wife. At least, if neither one of them backed out. June thirtieth, they had decided. Quick in and out of the courthouse.

Only for Olivia's sake, of course.

He wouldn't even have to tell the guys, if he didn't want to. Amanda had told him that she wouldn't hold that against him.

The only thing that he knew for certain about this whole fiasco was that it was going to be difficult.

* * *

June 4, 2012

"So, David,"

David looked over at Nathan as his partner wiped the grease from a Pearly's sausage link biscuit off of his fingers. "Yeah?"

"I didn't get a chance to ask you at church. How did Saturday go with Amanda and Olivia?"

David smiled. "She's amazing. Really smart. She looks like Amanda. And she can get a little talkative. She's really something else."

"So, she looks like her mom and acts like you?" Adam asked.

"Huh?"

"You said that she's a talkative something else. That sounds like you."

David rolled his eyes, picturing Olivia chasing him around the house with the toy gun. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Poor Amanda." Adam replied.

David smirked. "Although, she called me Barney a couple of times."

"As long as she didn't mean the dinosaur, you'll be okay." Nathan informed him.

"Nah. I think that I am officially 'Daddy'."

"David, man, that's awesome!" Nathan sounded as excited for him as David was for himself.

"How are things going with Amanda?" Adam asked.

David swallowed. Here was his chance to tell at least these two guys about his plans for getting married. But no, not quite yet. He wasn't ready for them to know that yet.

"Fine." David shrugged. "Good, I guess. Turns out that she's not a vegetarian after all. Some friend dared her to put it on her car or something."

Both Nathan and Adam shook their heads, and David thought that he had gotten into the all clear. But a minute later, he noticed that Nathan was giving him an odd look.

"What?"

Nathan shook his head. "It's nothing."

David didn't believe him.


	4. Chapter 4

June 4, 2012

Amanda loved the school library when it was like this. Dead silent except for the noise that she made herself. No one in the world disturbed her here. Frankly, they didn't dare.

Her cell phone rang, echoing loudly off the walls, and she sighed.

Well, most people didn't dare to disturb her, anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Amanda, it's Marsha. How are things going for you?"

"Hi and fine." Amanda replied.

Propping her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder, she picked up a stack of books and went back to work.

"How are things going with David?"

Amanda took a deep breath, and made the split-second decision to play the part of the giddy bride.

"We're engaged!" she squealed, knowing all the while that there was no way that she could pull this off if Marsha was standing right in front of her.

It sounded like Marsha choked on something before asking loudly, "What!?"

"Yeah, I know, amazing, right?" Amanda bubbled.

It scared her that she was so good at pulling off this lie.

"Not the word that I would use." Marsha said hesitantly.

Yeah, I know, right?

"Oh, don't worry. He's amazing in every way. Absolutely" - Amanda had to force herself not to choke on the word – "Gorgeous. I swear he hasn't aged a day since college." Which was true. " The way he handles Olivia…" – And Amanda really meant it when she said this – "He's an amazing father, Marsha. I definitely" – again she had to force herself not to choke on the words coming out of her mouth. – "Love him."

"Love him like 'spend the rest of your life with him as your husband' love him?" Marsha asked skeptically.

Amanda managed to squeak out an "of course," praying all the while that she didn't sound as false to Marsha's ears as she did to her own.

And then, mercifully, inspiration struck.

"Hey, Marsha, hold on a second. I want to send you a picture from my phone."

"Of prince charming?"

"Who else?"

Amanda sent her the photo that she had taken Saturday night and sent it to her friend, waiting for her comment.

"Awwwwwwwwww!"

Amanda smiled despite herself.

"Okay, and, honey, I just have to say, he is be-u-te-ful!"

Amanda felt the warmth spread through her cheeks. "I know, right?"

"If he acts like he looks now, you, Amanda, have struck gold."

The picture had apparently done a one eighty on Marsha's opinion of this situation.

"A man after God's own heart." Amanda murmured to herself.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing important. A man after God's own heart. David called Olivia his princess and me a queen, and Olivia says that makes him King David, who, in the Bible, is referenced as a man after God's own heart."

"Oh, honey," Marsha laughed. "You have got it bad. You. Are. In."

Marsha, please don't say it.

"Love!"

Amanda bit back the denial that sprang to the tip of her tongue. What did come out though was a yelp as she noticed someone standing by her desk across the library.

"Amanda? Are you okay?"

Amanda swallowed, finding her voice before she answered as calmly as she could, "Yeah, sure. Hey, Marsha, listen, I'm going to have to go. I've got a visitor."

"Okay, sure. 'Bye. And, hey! Congratulations! I am so happy for you guys!"

"Thanks, 'bye." Amanda ended the call and slid her phone into her pocket. "What are you doing here? Does no one understand that this is my sanctuary?"

"I'm sorry." David's tone was repentant, but his eyes were not.

As a matter of fact, he looked rather pleased with himself for having caught her off guard.

"No you're not." She pointed out, as David walked over to follow behind her as she began to shelve the books again. "And you never answered my question."

"Well, um, 'why am I here.'" In answer, he held up a bag of takeout that Amanda hadn't noticed before now.

Her eyebrows rose. "Jimmie's Hotdogs?"

He nodded. "As a peace offering."

"Peace offering accepted. How did you know?"

He smiled. "Let's call it an educated guess."

"So, did you take the day off or what?"

"The patrol car decided to quit in the middle of the day, so the sheriff told Nathan and I to just take the rest of the day off."

"How did you get in here anyway? It's not like the school's open to the public right now."

David blushed. "I, um, told the secretary that I was your, uh, fiancé."

"Which one of them, Diana or Betty?"

David thought for a second. "Uh, Diana."

"Okay, were safe. She'll keep it to herself. So how long had you been standing there by my desk? Before I noticed you, I mean?"

David smiled. "I think that I came in somewhere around, oh, I don't know," His eyebrows rose. "gorgeous. Did I hear that right?"

Amanda blushed to the roots of her hair and rested her forehead against the shelf at eye level as David began laughing. She didn't have to answer that question.

"You are a wonderful actress, milady."

Amanda's heart did this weird stuttering thing when he called her milady again. She lifted her head and told him to hush.

He just laughed again. "Should we eat and then work or work and then eat?" he asked.

"We?"

He nodded. "I brought enough for the both of us, if it's okay for me to eat with you."

She nodded. "Of course."

"So… hotdogs or books?"

Amanda looked at the greasy white paper bag. "What kind of hotdogs are they?"

He smirked and answered, "Ketchup, cheese, and" he wrinkled his nose. "Sauerkraut."

"Okay, who's your informant, Thomson?" she asked, because he was right on the money with her favorite in that bag.

"Hey, I'm not above using the kid."

She shook her head and elbowed him, since her hands were full of books. "'The kid's' name is 'Olivia'."

"I know." He elbowed her back, and she wobbled, almost falling and dumping the books that she was holding.

David moved quickly, wrapping one arm around her waist and propping the books up with the other so that neither she nor they hit the floor. He steadied her and asked once he was sure that she wasn't going to fall over, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, noticing that he had yet to move his arms. She wasn't being held close to him exactly, but she could smell his cologne and for some reason the area on her side that his hand was covering seemed red-hot.

"Sorry about that." He said.

"It's fine." Her gaze deepened as she stared into his eyes and realized that, as a matter of fact, he was gorgeous. She looked away first, clearing her throat. "Hotdogs first, I think."


	5. Chapter 5

David blinked, confused, as the spell was broken by her voice. "What?"

"Hotdogs or books." Amanda reminded him, taking a step back, forcing him to remove his hands from her body, where they probably shouldn't have been anyway. "I choose hotdogs. While they're still warm."

"Okay." David shoved his empty hand in his pocket and was startled for some reason to feel the real reason for his visit to her in his pocket.

He followed behind her like some sort of a stray animal as she walked away from the shelves of books towards the front of the library where her desk was stationed and a few tables with chairs were scattered. She placed the few books that she had been carrying on top of one of the tables, motioning to the tables around them. Currently, they were almost all piled with stacks of books.

"Where do you want to sit?" she asked.

David sat on the edge of her desk. "Here works fine for me."

She laughed at him and sat in the chair at her desk, shaking her head again. He smiled back and handed her the hotdog that he had ordered for her.

"Should I pray?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

So he made it short and sweet before digging his own hotdog out of the bag. He balled the sack and threw it towards the trashcan across the room.

Amanda laughed again and pointed with raised eyebrows to the trashcan in plain view right beside her desk as the paper ball made an effortless landing into the other trashcan.

"But that's no fun." David explained.

She rolled her eyes in good humor. "Well, at least you're still pretty good at basketball."

"Of course I am!"

"Of course you are. Because David Thomson is just so special."

"Maybe not special. Gorgeous, apparently, but not necessarily special."

Amanda blushed and told him to shut up. He laughed again, but became solemn as he saw that maybe he had the opening in the conversation that he needed.

"I do think that you're special." He confessed. Her expression became guarded, but he continued on, explaining what he meant. "You're a very strong person, doing what you've done with Olivia. But I get the feeling that life has been hard for you. I had the thought that maybe adding a little bit of normalcy to this, our" he cleared his throat. "Engagement, I mean, might be… helpful. So I want to give this to you."

David took the ring out of his pocket and laid it on the desk between them, mentally praying that she would accept it. Amanda gasped and carefully picked up the white gold solitaire ring, holding it in the palm of her hand.

"David… it's…" She was at a loss for words. He saw inspiration flash through her dazed eyes and she slipped the ring onto her ring finger, smiling. She held up her hand, showing him the ring. "Now,  _this_ is gorgeous."

David laughed with relief. "I'm glad that you like it."

"You didn't have to get me this, you know."

"I know. But it's expected, and, besides, you really do deserve it."

Amanda smiled sweetly at him, and he thought for a second that he might have seen tears in her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered.

David swallowed. "It's a privilege."

There was so much more that he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that he thought that he might just be in love with her. He wanted to tell her that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. He wanted to tell her that he was looking forward to forever with her, if only they could get over the rockiness that they were currently struggling through.

But he didn't.

* * *

June 8, 2012

"What?" Amanda asked loudly into the phone early Friday morning. "What do you mean, 'closed for the day'?"

"I'm really sorry, Miss Williams," Helen apologized "but ninety-five percent of the kids and staff are sick, and it just won't pay anyone for the daycare to be open today."

"What about the other five percent? I start a new job today!"

"Like I said, I'm very, very sorry, but there's nothing that I can do about it. It wasn't my decision."

Amanda sighed, forcing herself to calm down. "Of course not, Helen, I apologize." Amanda studied the ring on her hand. "It's just been a long week. I shouldn't take that out on you."

"It's all right." Helen replied. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

Amanda ended the call and sighed. Then she called her new boss. She seemed like a kind woman. Maybe…

* * *

"So where do you feel like stopping for lunch?"

David glanced at Nathan when his partner posed the question. He thought for a second. "One of Aunt Bea's burgers would really hit the spot right about now. But whatever you want is fine."

"Well, Adam, Bobby, and I say that you get to pick since you're the guy who got jacked in the jaw earlier."

"Mm." David gingerly touched the angry bruise that had taken over his cheek. "Then Aunt Bea's."

"Sounds good to me. I'll call Adam and tell him where to meet us."

David listened in on the conversation as Nathan headed in the direction of the restaurant.

Victoria wanted to eat lunch with them with Dylan, Kayla and Jade.

"The more the merrier." Nathan declared before hanging up. He looked to David. "So when are we gonna get to meet your girls?"

David shrugged. "I don't know."

"Hm. How do you think they're gonna take your beauty mark there?" Nathan gestured to the bruise.

David flinched. "I have no idea. By the way, that is the last call that we take from 9th Avenue, agreed?"

Nathan laughed at him. "We can always hope."


	6. Chapter 6

Amanda ducked into the break room of Aunt Bea's Diner, checking on Olivia once again. When she went back out, she saw four deputies coming in, two with their wives and teenagers.

Oh boy.

She had thought that it would be fun to surprise him, and she had kind of figured on the other three deputies being there, but their wives and Dylan and Jade hadn't been a part of her plan. Oh well, they were settling at a table in her section, so she didn't really have a choice. She had to do her job.

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders… and stalled for as long as she could.

When she finally started approaching their table, she heard Corporal Mitchell's wife request, "So, David, tell me about Amanda."

Amanda stopped in her tracks, deciding to listen in. What did David have to say about her?

* * *

Nathan groaned as David opened his mouth.

"What?" David asked his partner innocently.

"Amanda is all I have heard about  _all week_."

David grinned, embarrassed.

"Well, I haven't heard anything about her." Victoria said. "And I want to know what you think of her, David."

"What I think about her?" David repeated.

"Yeah." Victoria nodded. "What's your own personal opinion?"

David considered this for a second, a small smile stretching across his lips as he grabbed a napkin and started shredding it. "She's amazing. Brave, very put together, she's a wonderful mother, and a fantastic cook. A very godly woman. I have a huge amount of respect for her. And, well, in my opinion, she's" David felt the heat rise into his cheeks as he searched for the right word. "I guess, gorgeous."

The others at the table looked at each other knowingly.

"I see." Victoria said.

David took a deep breath before tacking on a final sentence. "And she's my fiancée."

* * *

Silence.

Amanda let it linger for a second before heading in to rescue him.

"What can I get you guys to drink?" she asked, pen poised over her notepad.

David yelped and whirled to face her. She gasped, dropping her pen and paper. Before now, his back had been facing her, but now that she saw his face, she saw the awful bruise that was spread across his face.

"What happened to you?" she asked, her voice a little shrill.

David waved away her concern. "Just another day on the job. I'll take coffee, black please."

"David!" she snapped.

David sighed and scooped her pen and paper off of the floor, handing them back to her. "Just a fight on 9th Avenue. Like I said, it just happens sometimes. I'm fine, I promise. It looks much worse than it actually is."

Amanda gripped the table top so hard that her knuckles turned white, and David slid his arms around her waist, afraid that she might faint, maybe. "This is normal?" she asked carefully, faintly.

She didn't even think to consider why she cared so much.

It was Kayla Hayes who answered. "Honey, you need to sit down for a second."

Amanda shook her head at the chair that Kayla offered her. She took a deep breath, forcing her head to clear. "I'm okay." She stood up straight again and raked her hair away from her face, repeating. "I'm okay. It's just something that I'm going to have to get used to, I guess."

Victoria and Kayla looked at each other, and Amanda knew that there would be no getting used to it.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" David asked in concern.

Amanda nodded. "Mm-hm."

She looked at the napkin that she had crumpled in her hand and handed it to him. She laughed a little at himself as he read the two words that she had written.  _Gorgeous, huh?_

"Absolutely." He answered aloud, one arm still around her waist.

"Amanda Williams!" Dylan said out of the blue. He looked at Jade. "We are so  _stupid_!"

"'Oblivious' might be the better word." Amanda granted.

"I don't know…" David shook his head. "If he's still enamored with that one girl like you've told me he is… I'd say that's a stupid girl to chase in his situation."

"What girl?!" Adam and Dylan asked at the same time.

Amanda smiled. "I'm going to have mercy on you two and not answer that question in front of current company."

"Current co-" Dylan froze mid-sentence, realizing who she was talking about. "No." He shook his head viciously. "No way. There are way too many guns and tasers in that equation."

Amanda smirked as Jade silently slid out of her chair and started heading towards the bathroom.

"Coward." Amanda muttered.

David reached out and grabbed Jade's wrist. "Only the guilty run." He pointed out.

Uncertainty flashed through Jade's eyes.

"Here." David reached for his holster. "He can borrow my Glock until we get out of here, how about that?"

"You can't take that out in here." Amanda objected. "And besides, I told you that he'd threatened to shoot you."

"What?" Adam and Dylan again asked at the same time.

"Oh." Dylan remembered. "No, that is  _not_ what I said. I said that he – and at this time I did not know it was David – deserved to be shot. Big difference. You really ought to quit twisting my words. Seriously, Mrs. T, are you trying to get me killed?"

Amanda laughed and David's arm around her waist tightened at the name Dylan had used to address her.

"I'm kidding and you know it. I also know that you have more brains than to date Nathan's kid, or at least wait to do so."

David grinned at Dylan before looking at Nathan and saying, as if it would mean something to him, "We hope."

 


	7. Chapter 7

"Dylan, look."

Dylan looked in the direction that Jade nodded towards, ignoring David and Amanda. Their daughter was standing behind and to the side of them, out of their sight, but with a perfect view of David's bruised face. Horrified tears were gathering in the young girl's eyes.

Dylan said the first thing that came to mind, shooting off his mouth. "Your mommy did it."

Amanda and David both turned to look at her when Olivia objected loudly, "She did not!"

Amanda told her to quiet down and Dylan laughed. "You're right." He answered. "She didn't."

* * *

"Hey, Princess." David greeted his little girl.

"Hi, Daddy." She climbed up in his lap, barely brushing her fingertips gently against his cheek. "Are you okay?"

David wrinkled his nose like it was no big deal. "Oh, yeah."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not a bit." He answered, grabbing her hand and kissing it.

She smiled, uncertain in front of all these strangers. "Did you win?"

 _Nobody wins in the middle of a drunk guy abusing his family._ David smiled softly. "I guess so, close enough."

"I knew you would."

"Oh?" David laughed. "And why is that?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Because you're king."

The guys with him chuckled.

"So I heard." He murmured, wrapping his arms about his daughter. "By the way, these guys are Adam, Nathan, Victoria, Kayla, Jade, and Dylan. Guys, this is Olivia," he looked down at her. "My little princess."

"Nice to meet you, Princess." Nathan said with a smile.

Olivia blushed and buried her face in David's chest.

"They won't bite." David reassured her, rubbing her back.

"He's mean." Olivia mumbled against him, pointing behind her in Dylan's general direction.

David tried not to laugh, coughing instead.

"He is, isn't he?" Jade piped up. "He teases me all the time."

"Did he give you that?" Olivia pointed to the Jade's purity ring.

"Uh, no. My daddy did." She nodded towards Nathan.

"Am I going to get one when I get bigger?" Olivia asked, looking at David innocently.

"Without a doubt." He answered with a loving smile.

* * *

Amanda smiled down at the father and daughter, something deeper than affection for David Thomson stirring within her.

"Hey, rookie! Quit flirting with the customers and come on!" Aunt Bea called out. "That one has a girlfriend, anyways."

Amanda rolled her eyes and called back, "I know! And it's fiancée, thank you very much!"

Aunt Bea's eyes widened a little and she smiled. "Well then, you think that you'd take their orders and prove to them that you know how to cook."

Amanda made a face at her motherly, good humored boss before turning back to the table, one of the two that were currently in use.

"Rookie, huh?" David asked sympathetically.

Amanda sighed. "You have no idea."

David laughed. "Oh, but I do."

"And it's only the two of us working here, so she's kind of more like a partner than a boss."

David nodded. "I understand completely. And I guess I want a cheeseburger."

"And black coffee, right?"

David smiled. "And that is why I love you."

Amanda just laughed. Her smile dimmed as she realized just what he'd said – that he loved her. He'd never said anything like that before to her. The question was: did he mean it, or was he just putting on a show, like she had for Marsha?

She took the orders for the rest of his group and then disappeared into the kitchen.

"That boy," Aunt Bea said, looking up at her from the old stove. "Is smitten." She pointed a finger straight at Amanda. "And so are you."

Amanda froze. "I am not!"

Aunt Bea's eyebrows rose. "Doesn't that ring of yours say different?"

Amanda blushed and stammered, "Yeah, it does."

Aunt Bea gave her a strange look, then gazed out towards Olivia, putting two and two together. Amanda rushed out with a tray full of coffee filled mugs. Halfway across the room, Amanda realized that Aunt Bea had put a CD into the CD player. Kenny Chesney, she thought, halfway listening to the lyrics. She almost swallowed her tonsils when she started to pay attention.

 _All he could think about was I'm too young for this_  
Got my whole life ahead  
I'm just a kid myself  
How'm I gonna raise one?

All he could see were his dreams going up in smoke  
So much for ditching this town and hanging out on the coast  
Oh well, those plans are long gone

And he said  
There goes my life  
There goes my future, my everything  
Might as well kiss it all good-bye  
There goes my life

"I am going to kill Aunt Bea." Amanda said through gritted teeth, setting the tray down on the table.

"You should really hear all of the song before you say that." Jade said.

 _A couple years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later_  
That mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator  
Oh yeah...he loves that little girl.

Momma's waiting to tuck her in  
As she stumbles up those stairs  
She smiles back at him dragging that teddy bear  
Sleep tight, blue eyes and bouncing curls

He smiles  
There goes my life  
There goes my future my everything  
I love you, daddy goodnight  
There goes my life

She had that Honda loaded down  
With Abercrombie clothes and fifteen pairs of shoes and his American express  
He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said your good to go  
She hugged them both and headed off to the west coast

He cried  
There goes my life  
There goes my future, my everything  
I love you  
Baby good-bye

There goes my life  
There goes my life

Amanda took a deep breath and looked at David, "I'm sorry."

David winked at her. "It's okay. I don't mind, really."

"You're sure?"

He smiled, putting her back at ease. "Positive."

Aunt Bea's words rang in her ears.  _That boy is smitten. And so are you. So are you._

And it was then that she realized that she, Amanda Williams – soon to be Thomson – was falling in love with her fiancé.

 


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey," Dylan turned to Jade when she nudged his arm. She nodded towards Amanda. "Let's help her out."

The waitress in question was currently headed towards their table and struggling with an overload of dishes. Dylan and Jade both jumped up and rescued part of the meal.

Amanda blushed. "Thanks."

"Not a problem, teach." Dylan quipped.

Amanda rolled her eyes, easing some of the plates onto the table. "I prefer 'Mrs. T' over 'teach', thanks."

Dylan and Jade looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"She prefers 'Mrs. T.'" Jade got in on the teasing.

"Okay, here's what I want to know. How did they get from-" He jumped up to sit on the nearest table, unoccupied, and put his feet in one of the chairs, facing Jade with his shoulders slumped. His eyes filled with turmoil as he quoted to her, "I just never really loved her, you know?" David choked as Dylan hopped off of the table. "To  _that_." He pointed at Amanda's engagement ring.

Jade arched her eyebrows. "Where did you get that he doesn't love her?"

David put his head in his hands.

"That's what you know who told me he told Nathan."

Jade snorted. "Okay, so you've been talking to David about his girls?"

"Yeah. I think that he thinks that he's protecting his little sister somehow in telling me about it."

Both of them rolled their eyes at the very idea.

"M-hm." Jade nodded. "And now you learn of the glory of being a teacher's pet."

Jade took her plate, handed him his, slung an arm around his shoulders, and steered him away from their table as Amanda objected, "I resent that!"

Jade answered over her shoulder as she and Dylan settled at a table across the room, "That doesn't change the facts, gorgeous."

"Shoot me now." David groaned.

Dylan laughed before leaning conspiratorially in towards Jade. "So," he murmured. "Do we have a game plan?"

"No, not really."

"Oh, come on, cheerleader, you can think of something."

"Cheerleader?" Amanda's voice floated over to them.

Jade sighed and answered, "I tried to get on to the cheerleading squad last year, but I didn't get in."

"Then him calling you a cheerleader is like someone else calling him an athlete."

"You know that I was on the track team!" Dylan objected.

"Running barely counts."

"Neither does cheerleading then." Dylan shot back.

Amanda rolled her eyes and turned away.

"So I'm kind of a cheerleader, and you're kind of an athlete, like… a basketball player?"

Dylan's eyes widened as he glanced at the other table, more accurately, at David, former college basketball player. "I refuse to acknowledge those parallels." He informed Jade.

"Wow!" She grinned. "Those are some pretty big words for you, aren't they?"

Dylan made a face and Jade cracked up. "So, what you're saying is that we  _kind of_ tried that road, and it didn't fit. That works for me."

Jade nodded. "Stupid thought anyway; I just wanted to see what you'd say."

"I'd say that I am not that suicidal, thank you kindly."

"Suicidal?"

"Well, it would pretty much be suicide by cop, wouldn't it?"

"What?"

He leaned forward and whispered. "If you were knocked up and your dad and David even  _thought_ that I was responsible, I would be dead in a New York minute, no questions asked."

"It's true." Jade acknowledged. "Now – David and Mrs. T."

Dylan leaned back into his chair, thinking.

Jade perked up. "Hey, hold on. Hey, Aunt Bea?" she called out.

"Yes, sweet?" Aunt Bea poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Can you turn the music up a little? I don't think that I've heard this song before."

Aunt Bea smiled and winked at her. Jade returned the smile and winked right back. What were they up to?

"Of course."

Aunt Bea disappeared and in a second the music got louder.

 _You know sometimes me and my lady have these crazy fights_  
And when we do, it makes me wonder if we're even gonna get it right  
When I think about leaving, I think about me  
What my life would be like if I were back to being free  
Where I wanna go, what I wanna do  
I wouldn't have a soul I'd have to answer to  
When I think about leaving I think about me

"Are you insane?" Dylan hissed.

"Maybe." Jade admitted softly. "But I thought that you were the one that they were going to shoot."

Dylan took a deep breath, praying that nobody took out their guns or tasers as the song continued. He exhaled only when it was over.

 _You know I've got a friend and him and his wife just couldn't see eye to eye_  
He had all he could stand one day and just packed up and said "goodbye"  
When I think about leaving I think about him  
And that little apartment 'cross town he's living in  
Got an old Corvette got a new girlfriend but he only sees his kids every other weekend  
When I think about leaving, oh I think about him  
I never will forget her face on the day she told me about her dad  
How he walked out on her mom when she was just a kid  
When I think about leaving, oh I think about her  
Only five years old and her heart filled up with hurt  
With her little arms wrapped around his neck  
Saying "Daddy where you goin'? Are you comin' back?"  
When I think about leaving, oh I think about her  
You know the truth is most of the time things are really great  
And I know we've got something special  
When I think about leaving, I think about us  
How we're building this love we share on faith and trust  
The honest way we talk, the tender way we touch  
All those nights we spent makin' love  
When I think about leaving, oh I think about us  
When I think about leaving, oh I think again  
Even though that thought crosses my mind every now and then  
In my heart I know I would never leave  
There's nowhere else on earth that I would rather be  
When I think about leaving, I think again  
When I think about leaving  
When I think about leaving  
When I think about leaving, I think again

"You're nuts." He said, taking in a ragged breath. "You had better hope that you didn't cross the line."

"You started it." Jade shot back.

"And why exactly does the woman always have to be the one to finish it?" Dylan snapped.

* * *

Across the room, Amanda took a deep breath, entered the break room, and dug a Tylenol out of her purse. What was next?

* * *

"'Bye, Baby, see you when you get home."

Nathan dipped his head to accept the kiss from his wife. "See ya' later."

Amanda shook her head with a small smile, watching Jade blush at her parents' public display of affection. A look of sheer horror crossed Dylan's face when Victoria rose on her tiptoes and kissed Adam soundly.

Amanda froze as the thought dawned on her. That was her role too.

She took a quick step forward and placed a quick kiss on David's un-bruised cheek. She saw the shock that flittered across his expression, but he covered it quickly.

"Stay safe." She whispered worriedly, her hand on his shoulder.

He took her hand from off of his shoulder and kissed it. "I will, milady."

She smiled half-heartedly, but ended up biting her lip. He smiled reassuringly. Giving her hand a quick squeeze, he headed out the door right behind Nathan. She watched them through the window as Nathan slapped David on the shoulder and said something that made the younger man blush. Nathan laughed as David tried stammering out something. The poor guy, there was going to be no end to the teasing that he received over his relationship with her.

She turned away from the window, thinking. She knew that, in a way, their relationship was false – a façade. Why, then, did it feel so real this afternoon?


	9. Chapter 9

"Those two nut jobs are spending the entire first quarter of the next school year in detention." Amanda declared as soon as she picked up the phone later that night.

David laughed. "And a fine hello to you too, milady."

"What were they thinking?!"

David inhaled and let the air back out slowly. As he walked into the living room, he rolled his eyes at his giant dog, currently taking up the entirety of the couch, and flopped down into the lazy boy.

"I've never known them to act like that before." Amanda said, puzzled.

"I've been thinking about it," David said slowly. "I don't have a clue. I wonder though if they weren't honestly trying to figure us out."

"What do you mean?"

He bit his lip, still speaking slowly. "The others are adults; mature enough that they'll probably leave us alone about this all being so… sudden. They get it. But Jade and Dylan? They probably sense that something is off, but I'd guess that they want to believe in love at first sight."

"They're smarter than that. They were just being stupid teenagers, I guess." Amanda sighed. "Really stupid."

"No great mystery there."

"Oh, hey, Daddy, somebody wants to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"

David smiled. "Always."

"Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, Princess. Are you all ready for bed?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Should we ask Mommy to put me on speaker tonight?"

"Yeah."

David smiled, because she never said no. So he sang along to Psalms one hundred and listened with Amanda to their daughter's prayers.

"Good night, Mommy. I love you." Olivia said, and David heard the rustle that meant that she was in bed now.

"'Night, sweetheart. I love you too."

"Good night, Daddy. I love you."

"Good night, Princess. I love you more."

Olivia giggled and the next thing that David heard was Amanda's voice. He was off of speakerphone now that Olivia was down for the night..

"Hey, David?"

"Yeah?"

"What Dylan said earlier in Aunt Bea's…"

David closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the lazy boy, hand over his eyes.

"Did you actually say that?"

David took a deep breath. "At one point, yes."

This wasn't supposed to be a 'real' relationship anyway, so why did admitting this seem wrong?

"Well, I guess that he has us there, doesn't he?"

"Yeah well. Not really. I think that you threw them all off with what you did as we were leaving. And I know that you have Kayla and Victoria convinced. Were you really that upset about a little bruise?"

"A little bruise?" she repeated, her voice high. "That thing covers up half of your face!"

"Nah…" David gingerly touched the bruise in question. "I'd say it's just about a sixth."

"A sixth." Amanda repeated dryly.

He smiled because he could practically hear her rolling her eyes, and answered "Yep. We can handle stuff like that, right?"

"Just don't end up in the hospital, all right?"

"Yes dear." He answered sarcastically.

"Don't make me hang up on you."

"Yes dear."

"David!"

"Yes dear?"

"I will hurt you."

He smirked. "Yes dear."

She huffed. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Ye- I don't know. Why?"

"Do you want to come over again?"

"Or you two could come over here. I figured that it's your turn, and, I mean, I keep a dog in the house, but other than that, it's pretty much clean. And I think that Olivia and Duke would like each other."

"Yeah, that'll be fine."

"Great! Anything specific she'd want for a meal?"

"If you make pizza, you'll make her day."

David laughed. "That's my girl. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"We make pizza for lunch. What do you want for supper?"

"Oh, well, I'm fine with whatever."

"Amanda…" he coaxed.

He could just hear another eye roll as she shot off, "Grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, then."

"Deal."

She laughed. She thought that he was joking.

"Whatever is fine."

"All right." He agreed, and then changed the subject. "What time should I expect you here?"

* * *

June 9, 2012

David was waiting for them when they pulled up the next morning.

Duke sat next to him, watching with dull eyes. He was a patient dog, and good with kids, but at seven years old, he was old for his breed.

Amanda's mouth dropped open when she emerged out of her car. "David, that animal is huge!"

David nodded with a smile. "Uh-huh."

Duke's tail wagged as he walked beside David towards the two girls.

Olivia's eyes grew to the size of saucers when she looked  _up_  at the dog. She yelped and hid behind her mother. Amanda smoothed her hand over Olivia's hair, she herself looking none too certain.

"Don't worry." David said to the dog. "I got that same reception myself. They'll get over it."

Amanda smiled and offered her hand to the dog to smell, asking, "Are you sure that he's safe?"

"Absolutely harmless." David promised.

Duke took an eager step towards Amanda. Olivia squealed, and, deserting her mother, ran to cling to David's waist.

David grinned and hefted her up into his arms. "I promise that he won't hurt you. He's just a gentle giant, that's all." He raised his eyebrows. "And aren't Davids good with giants?"

"Only if they need killed." Olivia answered tersely.

The truth was that David was probably going to have to put the poor guy down soon, but he didn't bring up that fact.

"He's being nice to me." Amanda pointed out.

Olivia looked to be reassessing her opinion of David's pet, so David took a few steps towards Amanda and the dog with his daughter still in his arms. He ran his hand down the dog's back.

"See, he's really nice, I promise. You try petting him now."

Olivia bit her lip, watching Duke intently, although she no longer seemed afraid.

"Hey, I wouldn't let him near you if I thought that he'd hurt you. He's a good guy."

Olivia reached her hand out, but pulled it back in quickly and closely when Duke turned towards her.

"Here." David took her hand in his and ran his hand across the friendly dog's head with Olivia's hand underneath his. "See? What did I tell you?"

His little girl smiled cautiously. She squealed with delight and laughed when Duke licked her hand.

"Silly!" she squealed." He licked me!"

"Those are doggy kisses." David explained with a smile. "It means that he likes you."

"Yeah?" Olivia smiled down at the dog. "Well, he's nice too."

David and Amanda both laughed.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Amanda set down her purse, after coming inside the house, and wandered around the living room, noting the bareness of the walls. Her eyes were drawn to the framed document that seemed to demand attention, and could be plainly seen from anywhere in the room.

The Resolution.

She stood in front of it, scanning the words.

_I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children._

_I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home._

_I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me._

_I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength._

_I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly._

_I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy._

_I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion._

_I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family._

_I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged._

_I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God._

_I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will._

_I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory._

Her eyes were drawn back to the third line. Would he really love her – she swallowed hard, letting the thought sink in – like she did him?

"What do you think?" David asked, coming to stand behind her.

She took a deep breath. "I think that… I…" She turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "I love you, David Thomson."

David's green gaze darkened with emotion. "I…" He brushed a tear off of her cheek with a shaking hand, and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I love you too. I mean it."

She leaned into his touch, smiling. "I know you do."

There was still so much that they needed to say, and for the next heart-pounding second Amanda thought that he might try to kiss her. She could see that he wanted to, and to her great surprise, she wanted him to. But he didn't. Because Olivia and Duke chose that exact moment to tumble into the house.

David and Amanda both jerked away from the other, blushing furiously. She gave him a shaky smile, hating that the moment had passed, but, in a way, glad that it had. She did not need a kiss from David Thomson on her brain, thank you kindly.

* * *

"David, what are you doing?" Amanda asked, wandering over to him later that evening from where Olivia was playing with Duke across the yard.

She placed her sunglasses on top of her head. It was a stupid question; anyone with eyes could tell that he was grilling.

David smiled at her. "Grilling chicken. I made the mashed potatoes in the slow cooker and green beans too."

She laughed, "David, I was just kidding."

"I know."

"Well, that's very sweet of you, thank you." She leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"You're welcome." He answered with a smile. "And what was that for? I don't see any of the guys around."

Amanda blushed. "You're my fiancé. A peck on the cheek is perfectly acceptable, right?"

"Right." David sighed and turned back to the grill, his thoughts obviously taking a turn. "Hey, about all that… the guys are expecting invitations now."

Her eyebrows drew together. "Invitations to what?"

He stole a glance at her. "The wedding."

"Oh…" She crossed her arms over her chest, thinking. "I don't suppose we can make it just the three of us now, can we?"

"It doesn't seem like it." David answered apologetically.

She bit her lip. David smiled.

His grin caught her off guard. "What?"

"It's nothing." He shook his head. "You and Olivia both bite your lips when you get nervous."

Amanda grinned and then sighed. "So, what are we going to do?"

"How should I know?" she grinned. "You're the leader."

David swallowed, and she could tell that the idea terrified him. "How about inviting just them, the guys and their families?"

"That would be fine." Amanda replied.

"Well, that would mean the Hayes', the Mitchells, Bobby Shaw, and the Martinez'. And my mother, she'd kill me if she found out that the guys were invited and she wasn't."

Amanda grinned. "I haven't met the Martinez', right?"

David nodded. "Right. Javier, Carmen, and their two kids. They're around Olivia's age."

"That'll be nice."

"You know that you can invite people too, right?"

Amanda laughed. "Like who? Marsha, I guess, and maybe Aunt Bea. But really, Olivia's all the family that I have." She blushed, brushing her thumb across her engagement ring. "And you."

David pulled her into a one-armed hug, and she let him. "And me." He repeated. "There is one more thing though."

"Oh?"

"Kayla."

"What about her?"

"She threw a grown-up sort of fit when I told her that we weren't going to have a real wedding with the cake, flowers, and dress stuff. And everybody else agrees with her."

Amanda bit her lip again and pulled away, out of his arms. "What do we do?"

"I could talk to Pastor Rodgers about performing the ceremony right here, if you want."

"Right here in your yard?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"What about somewhere by the river?"

David smiled. "The Flint River?"

Amanda nodded.

"I know just the place. Now, about the other stuff…"

"What other stuff?"

"You know… cake, flowers, a white princess dress."

She smirked. "What about it?"

"Well, Kayla has all ready said that we're getting a wedding cake made by her whether or not we want it."

Amanda shrugged. "Okay. But, flowers? No need, not if we have this thing by the river. The scenery there is pretty enough."

"That's entirely up to you. Whatever you want." He arched his eyebrows. "A dress."

Amanda laughed. "Do you have any idea how expensive those things are nowadays? I haven't worn a dress in forever, anyway."

"Yeah," David agreed slowly. "But… I still think that, no matter what sort of a marriage this turn out to be, you deserve to have this day be a special one. And… I have money saved back for you and Olivia. I used to put some back every once in a while, thinking that maybe I'd eventually get around to sending it to you; it made me feel better for a little while, you know? I want you to take that money, and I want you to make your wedding day special."

She looked away from him, out towards Olivia and Duke, startled by this revelation and by the tears in her eyes. "You don't have to do that for me."

"Maybe I'm asking you to do it for me." He replied softly.

She looked back at him in surprise. After a long, silent moment she murmured in agreement. "All right."

He smiled, trying to break down the emotion coursing through the moment. "Thank you, milady."

She grinned and curtsied. "My pleasure, oh King David."

The way he looked at her, she could tell that he was all ready imagining her in that white dress. "Mine too."

She blushed furiously.

* * *

Across the yard, Olivia knelt on the grass, holding Duke close and watching her parents – the king and queen – as they talked and bantered, laughed and maybe cried a little. Yet smiling. Happy together.


	11. Chapter 11

"Mortuary. You stab 'em, we slab 'em." David answered his cell phone that night.

"Tell me that you don't answer the phone like that when it's a complete stranger on the line." Amanda groaned, unfazed by his signature opening line to a telephone conversation.

He grinned. "You wouldn't believe how well it takes care of telemarketers."

She laughed. "I'm sure it does. And what exactly does it do to your poor mother?"

David laughed before changing the subject. "Hey, I called Pastor Rodgers about an hour ago. He's good to help us out on the thirtieth."

"Good."

"And I left a message with the guy that handles the park by the river."

"Oh, you are wonderful."

"I know."

Amanda snorted.

"And Kayla called, said that she wanted you to call her to discuss the color scheme for the wedding. Do we even have a color scheme?"

Amanda laughed. "Uh, that would be a 'no'."

"Well, I guess that you'd better come up with one."

"You can do it; it's your wedding too."

"White and…pink, I guess. I seem to be surrounded by that color a lot here recently."

He heard her smile. "Thanks to Olivia."

"I don't mind. It's even kind of growing on me a little bit."

"Really?"

"Well, I really think that it's the girl that I associate with it."

"Now that I believe."

Twenty-five minutes later, his nightly conversation with partially Olivia but mostly Amanda was cut short due to a phone call from fireman Caleb Holt.

"Hey, milady, I probably ought to take this."

"All right, fine. I'll see you at church tomorrow."

"See ya'. Mortuary, you stab 'em, we slab 'em."

"Well," Caleb Holt replied with a laugh. "If you're at the morgue, I take it that you wouldn't want to come over and enjoy Catherine's fine cooking after church tomorrow afternoon."

"Actually, that sounds wonderful," David replied. "If it's an invitation."

"It is. We'd be glad to have you."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya'."

David hung up and yawned, deciding to call it a day and hit the sack. He dreamed of pink roses, white dresses, and having his new bride in his arms.

* * *

June 10, 2012

"Oh man." David groaned, sitting down on the couch in the Holts' living room. "That was the best pie ever."

Catherine laughed. "Why, thank you. I'll make sure you get a few pieces to take home with you. You can't eat very well without having a woman around to cook for you."

David smiled. "Actually, I eat out half the time."

"Even better." Caleb snorted.

"Well, I am engaged."

"Really?" Catherine inquired. "In that case, congratulations!"

David smiled. "Thank you. You know, speaking of which, I couldn't help noticing – is that your marriage certificate?" He pointed to a framed document on the wall.

"Sort of." Caleb answered, taking the thing down off of the wall and handing it to David. "It's the commitment agreement that Catherine and I signed when we renewed our vows a few years ago."

David looked at it, noticing the differences in the wording from a usual marriage certificate. "May I ask what led you to renew them?"

Caleb retrieved a notebook from a bookshelf and handed that to David as well. "This. We call it the Love Dare."

David's eyebrows rose and Caleb explained the book as David flipped curiously through it.

"I'd recommend it to any couple, whether or not they're having marital problems. It's a good thing to do, a good outlook to have, would really be a better way to put it. If you want, I can loan it to you after your wedding."

David tapped the book against his knee thoughtfully before handing it back to Caleb. "You know, I think that I'll take you up on that."

* * *

June 11, 2012

"I hate Mondays." Adam declared, settling into their favorite table at Austin's Barbeque. "Of all the days for Bobby to be sick."

"Hey, I thought that my partner had been shot when he fell in front of that truck." David pointed out. "You have nothing to complain about."

"You did?" Nathan asked in surprise.

"Yeah, for a second." David admitted.

"As you can see, I'm fine. Speaking of which," Nathan turned to Adam. "Are Victoria and Dylan okay? She sounded pretty worried when she called."

"Oh, yeah. She just needed to know that I was breathing, I guess. Did Kayla call you?"

"Yeah. Same thing, I suppose. They just need to hear your voice. It's kind of nice when you think about it."

Adam nodded, asking David hesitantly, "Has Amanda called?"

"Nope."

His phone rang. He answered it without thinking. "Mortuary. You stab 'em, we slab 'em."

The sound that came through the phone was something between a sob, a scream, and what he could only think to describe as keening. Adam slapped him on the back of the head and Nathan punched him in the arm. Both put a fair amount of force behind their actions, looking at him like he was a brainless idiot, and David curled into himself momentarily to get away from their blows, realizing that it was Amanda on the other end of the call.

"No, no, no. No, Amanda, I'm fine." She was still crying and he heard Aunt Bea in the background. "Amanda! I'm perfectly fine! Amanda, honey, milady, listen to me. Listen. To. Me. You're not listening. Now you're listening. I'm fine. I am perfectly fine. Nothing happened to me. That was a stupid way to answer the phone, and I am very, very sorry."

"You." Amanda informed him, threatening icily. "Have no idea what sorry even is. Yet."

"Oh, come on. I said that I was sorry."

"David, that's not funny!"

"I know, milady, I know. I'm very sorry."

"Well, I guess you're forgiven. I was just so… I heard a customer talking about a shoot out involving the sheriff's department and how it looked like one of the guys had gotten shot and a couple of them were so beaten up and… I just… freaked out. It really scared me." She admitted softly.

"It scared me too." David said with a small laugh. Then, seriously, he said, "I know. But everybody is okay, I promise. I'm sorry that you got so upset. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. I – I should probably get back to work."

"All right, I'll talk to you later."

"'Bye. And…" Her tone softened. "Hey, David?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

Later that night, David couldn't help but be a little terrified as he dialed Amanda's number. Not only had his major flub this afternoon probably left her at least a little upset with him, but he couldn't help but be a little afraid of how fast things were moving between him and Amanda. One week ago exactly, she had barely been able to force the words "I love him" past her lips, and then on Saturday, in front of the Resolution, she had meant every word that she had said, and he had almost kissed her for it.

He almost hung up, but the sweet little voice on the other side of the cell phone stopped him. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hey, Liv. How are you doing?"

His little girl proceeded to tell him about her day at daycare in an animated voice that David loved to listen to. But he wondered, because Amanda had always been the one to answer the phone before now. Had she had Olivia do it for her? Maybe the weekend had been a bit too much for her as well. They hadn't talked much at church yesterday, she'd avoided him as much as possible, and he wondered if maybe they hadn't gone too far on Saturday.

After Olivia had gone to bed, Amanda took the phone off of speakerphone and said, "Good night, David."

In those few words, he sensed that something was off.

"Amanda, wait." He begged. "We need to talk. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"You're a bad liar, Mrs. T."

"Don't call me that. It's bad enough coming from Dylan and Jade."

"Well, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, it's just… happening so fast."

"I know."

"No, not… not exactly external stuff, I mean to me."

David took a deep oxygen-filled breath. "I know that too."

"I talked to Marsha again yesterday morning."

"Your friend from the 'gorgeous' phone call?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"I meant what I said."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What I said to Marsha. She wanted to know more about you, so I told her good things, and I meant every word that I said to her whereas last week, as in six days before Sunday, I could barely keep my gag reflex in check when saying some of the same things. David, how did this happen? It scares me."

David took another deep breath, murmuring, "Yeah, I know that too. It is a little scary."

"Do you still want to do this? Get married?"

David raked a hand through his hair, thinking through how to answer. "Yes, I do." He refused to examine his motives for that fact. "But whatever you want to do for now is fine."

"We can't really back out." Amanda realized. "Too many people know about it. We'll just have to find a way to make it work."

David nodded, staring through Duke, who had once again taken over the couch, saying somberly, "Yeah."

They talked some more about Olivia, the safe ground between them, and then hung up. David thought about the Love Dare, thought about calling Caleb, Nathan, or Adam, thought about his impending nuptials. He hit his knees right then and there in the middle of his living room in "effectual fervent prayer."

* * *

June 12, 2012

Amanda smirked as she looked at her caller id that night. Yeah, things had been tense between her and David since Saturday – she wasn't used to being as vulnerable as she had been Saturday morning, and had avoided him because of it. Telling him that she loved him had  _not_ been in her plans, not doing so once, and certainly not twice – but a good laugh was always a nice icebreaker. Besides, she wanted to hear his reaction.

So she answered the phone, "Mort's Mule Barn. Mort ain't here right now; can I take a message?"

Silence. Then a confused, "What?"

She busted out laughing. "It took me all day to think that up, and all that you have to say is 'what'?"

"I… yeah." He suddenly sounded very tired.

Concern flooded her expression, even though he couldn't see it. "Are you all right? You don't sound like yourself."

"I'm just tired, that's all. I didn't sleep last night."

"At all?!"

"No."

"David Thomson, you can't do that! You have got to sleep! You're handling guns and gangsters all day, for Pete's sake!"

"I was busy." He answered sullenly.

"All night? With what?" The thought crossed her mind to add  _or who_ , but she didn't. That was not who he was anymore.

"Praying." He murmured. "About us."

Her face fell. "Us?"

"Amanda, I want this to work, and…" he sighed. "You know, this isn't a conversation that I want to have over the phone. Can I maybe come over?"

"David, it's late. Olivia is about to go to bed."

"I know, I know, but I really need to say my piece. Please?"

Anxiety and trepidation filled Amanda as she finally stammered, "A – All right."

"Thank you." David replied.

"Olivia's' ready for bed." Amanda said cheerfully, letting him know that their daughter was nearby.

"Okay. I'll come by once she's in bed."

Thirty-five minutes later, Amanda gulped in a deep breath of air before opening the door to let her fiancé in. She was surprised to see that he had his Bible with him. He sent her a shaky smile that she barely managed to reciprocate.

She bit her lip and gestured for him to sit on the couch before asking in a hushed tone, "What is it?"

He sat and she sat across from him on the opposite side of the couch.

"Last night while I was up I ended up reading 1 Corinthians thirteen."

"The love chapter."

David nodded and flipped his Bible open to the passage that he had bookmarked. "And I noticed something. Where is the emotion here in this chapter? The warm and fuzzy feelings?"

Amanda's eyebrows drew together as she scooted closer and looked over his shoulder, skimming the chapter. "There is none." She realized.

"Right. Because charity – love – is a decision, an action, not a feeling. Nowhere does it say that love is warm and fuzzy. The fact is; it can be tough. Love, real, Biblical love, is what I believe you have for me. I've seen that, and I fully believe that. I walked away all those years ago, but you let me back in when I asked. And that means the world to me. So regardless of whether or not you have any sort of love for me as your future spouse, I don't know. But I really do believe that if nothing else, there is that Biblical love there, and the connection as brother and sister in Christ. And isn't that where a husband and wife's love is supposed to start anyway? Maybe I was remiss in saying all of that, but I found it last night and it's really been a comfort to me. I wanted to share it with you."

She smiled at him, a real smile this time. "Thank you for that. I needed it too."

"Well, then, I'm glad that God gave it to me." He grinned in a way that stole her ability to breath, and then became serious once more, saying, "There's one more thing that you should know, and if you don't feel the same way, then I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but… Amanda, I really do love you." He tapped his Bible. "This way," and then tapped on the engagement ring on her finger. "And this way."

"I…" Amanda blushed and looked down at the ring. She swallowed when he closed his fingers over hers, engulfing her petite hand. "I love you too. Both ways. But, like I said last night, it's hard and it's frightening and it's all happening so fast. You changed everything when you showed back up. I've never seen Olivia so happy and… bubbly. You did a number on her, in a good way, and you don't even know it. But you did a number on me too. I'm really not as emotional as you must think I am. I hadn't cried in five years before you showed up. But I didn't laugh half as much either." She added this realization softly. "And I didn't want to trust you, I really, really didn't, but when you show up with a toy for your daughter or your old VS jacket or my favorite hotdogs along with a joke and that smile, I… I can't help it. Not only do I trust you, but I do love you, and I can't help it."

He smiled gently and she couldn't help but lean into his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her scalp and placed a lock of her hair back behind her ear, brushing away the single tear that paved a trail down her cheek.

"See?" she said, throwing her hands up and grabbing a tissue. "This is what you do to me! It's all your fault."

"I'm sorry." He apologized, but, like at the library, she could tell that he really wasn't.

For some reason a line from his letter to her flashed into her mind and she laughed out loud.  _I have no other expectations._

"David Thomson, I love you so much."

"And I love you too, milady. " He pushed himself up off of the couch. "Well, I should really go. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow night at church."

"Good night. Sleep well."

David nodded with a smile. "I will."


	13. Chapter 13

June 13, 2012

Wednesday night at church David almost jumped out of his skin when, in the middle of the pastor leading the congregation in prayer, little arms wound their way around his leg. He cracked his eyes open, looking through his eyelashes at his little girl staring up at him. David smiled and put a finger to his lips, indicating that she should be quiet and closed his eyes again. When the prayer ended, he sat back down in his seat and pulled Olivia into his lap. She burrowed close and one glance told him that she would probably be asleep soon. Amanda sat down in the seat beside him.

"Sorry about that." She whispered near his ear. "We just got here. I fell asleep when we got home and forgot to set my alarm to wake me up."

He shrugged and whispered in reply, "It's fine."

Pastor Rodgers announced his text and Amanda looked around as though she had forgotten something.

"What's wrong?" he mouthed.

"My Bible. I knew I forgot something."

He smiled and slid his Bible so that it was halfway on her lap, halfway on his.

She smiled at him and mouthed her thanks.

He nodded in response. As the pastor read, Olivia trailed her pointer finger along the page, as though she was reading along with him. David smiled and sent a silent prayer of thanks Heavenward. This was what home felt like; this – his child in his arms and his significant other at his side – was family and love, in all of its best forms.

Once the service had ended, David kept the predictably sleeping Olivia in his arms, standing talking to Bobby. In his line of sight, Amanda was animatedly relaying a story to Kayla and Victoria. If he had to guess, he figured the story was what the guys had deemed "The Mortuary Mistake." The way the two women turned to stare at him with openly horrified expressions, he knew that he had to be right. Would he never live that down?

"So, you actually told her that you were the mortician?" Bobby asked.

"No!"

Olivia mumbled in her sleep and shifted in his arms.

He lowered his voice, "That is seriously  _not_ what happened."

Bobby raised his eyebrows as Adam came over.

"Hi." Adam greeted. "Are you guys coming over to my house on Saturday? I've got steaks going again."

"Sure." Bobby shrugged.

"You should invite Haley to come with you." Adam said.

"Who's she?" David asked, perking up as a guilty blush tinted the cheeks of the rookie standing before him.

Bobby sent a two-barreled scowl towards his partner. "No one."

"Uh-huh." Adam's expression, though, stated that the truth was that she was someone indeed. He turned his focus onto David. "How about Amanda and Olivia? They're more than welcome to come on over with you."

David nodded. "I'll make sure that they know that. But I'm spending the day wherever they are. "

Adam smiled, laughed, and slapped him on the shoulder. "I figured as much."

David just grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, I don't blame you; I spent every spare minute I had with Victoria back when we were engaged. I get it."

"Thanks." David mumbled.

"All right then." So saying, Adam walked away.

"Hey," Bobby perked up and asked David. "Would you like to get some practice on the gun range in tomorrow? There's, uh, something that I'd kind of like to talk to you about. Get your opinion on."

"If you want counsel, I would ask any of the other guys but me."

"Yeah," Bobby agreed slowly, suddenly finding his shoes a great place to rest his gaze. "But I think that you'd get it better than they would."

"'It'?" David asked.

"I – I'll explain tomorrow, if that's all right."

"Yeah, sure." David nodded, feeling suddenly concerned for the teenager in front of him.

What would Bobby have to say tomorrow?

* * *

June 14, 2012

David had spent most of the previous night in prayer, and having informed Amanda of the situation, knew that she had done the same thing. Now David forced himself to focus on the target in front of him, firing three times. He hit it twice, letting Bobby get in one more round before they called it quits and went to clean their guns.

He waited for Bobby to bring up whatever it was that was so obviously bothering him.

At length the tow-headed young man said, "Did you hear about that high school senior who died in that motorcycle accident a few months back?"

"Yeah, Bronson was on the scene."

"Well, his girlfriend at the time, Haley, and I are together now."

"Good for you."

Bobby took a deep breath. "Neither one of us knew it when we started going out, but… she's carrying his baby."

David's hands stumbled, and he almost dropped his gun. Silence stretched between them, because neither one quite knew what to say next.

Bobby broke the silence when it became overly suffocating. "She gave her life to God, like you, Adam, and Nathan are always talking about. In the Planned Parenthood facility."

"What?" David asked, startled.

"She says that this woman came in and sat down beside her; just handed her a Bible with some passages marked, and then walked back out. Ever since, Haley's been completely different. She decided to raise the kid and everything."

"Coming to the Lord does that Bobby." David said softly.

"Do you really believe all of that?" Bobby asked, genuinely curious.

David nodded. "I do. Listen, Bobby, before I was saved, my life was a mess. I was messed up twenty ways to Sunday and really didn't know what to do about it, or if I even wanted to do anything about it. I hadn't spoken to Amanda for five years, had never even met Olivia. But God did a one-eighty on my life, and I'm so glad that he did. He's forgiven me of my sins and I have a place in Heaven because of Him. And he can do the same thing for you, if you'll believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. All that you have to do is ask."

As David watched, Bobby bowed his head right then and there, letting the Savior into his heart.

 


	14. Chapter 14

David gasped when he walked into his house later that day. He stared in shock at what he saw on the floor. What? How?

His copy of the Resolution laid on the floor beside the shattered glass of its frame, torn and wet with … teeth marks in it.

"Duke!" David howled.

The dog slunk into the room, tail between his legs. Seeing that the door behind David was still open, he shot past his master and into the outdoors. David slammed the door behind the huge dog.

"And I think that you can stay out there tonight."

He sighed and went to examine the damage. From what he could tell, Duke had probably knocked it off the wall and the frame's glass had shattered. Though why Duke would get it in his brain that it was okay to play with the document, David had no idea. It made absolutely no sense. The point was, his copy was ruined, beyond repair, unsalvageable.

He laid the copy on his desk and grabbed the broom, sweeping up the glass and dumping it in the trashcan. The phone rang and David picked up. "Mortuary. You stab 'em, we slab 'em. On our off days we just fight the desire to shoot our dogs."

"O…kay." Amanda's puzzled voice came over the phone. "Anyway, I called because I was wondering how everything had went with Bobby."

"Wonderful, actually. He was saved while we were there."

"Really?!"

David nodded, "Yes. But, um, there's something else that he wanted to talk to me about."

"What?"

"I – I don't know if he'd want it spread around just yet, so can you just pray for him? And his girlfriend, Haley?"

"Yes." Amanda answered slowly. Through the phone, he could hear the wheels turning in her head. "Did Bobby's Haley graduate this year from Westover High?"

"Yeah." David admitted, figuring that she probably knew Haley, by the way she had reacted.

"Haley Brooks?"

"Yes."

"Had been girlfriend of the kid in the motorcycle accident?"

"That's the one, yes."

"So, Bobby told you that she's pregnant."

David sighed. "Yeah."

"And asked you for advice?"

He sighed. "Uh-huh."

"What did you tell him?"

David flinched at the wariness that crept into her tone. "That is was up to him. But only because the child isn't biologically his. Otherwise I would've told him to man up."

Amanda sighed. "Yeah, I guess that you would've, wouldn't you?"

"I sure would've advised him not to desert them."

"Them?"

"Haley and the baby. That's two people, since a baby is a person even before birth. You do know that, right?"

She laughed. "Don't you dare start with me, David Thomson!"

"Yes, dear."

"Don't start that either." She ordered.

David smirked. "Yes, dear."

"David, I'm telling you, I will-"

"You'll what? You're on the other side of the phone, across town!"

" _Anyway_ , what did Bobby decide?"

"I'm not sure." David answered thoughtfully. "But I did make mention of Matthew 13:55."

"What's that? Refresh my memory."

"The people called Jesus Joseph's son. That would lead you to believe that he had raised the Boy as his own, even though he wasn't Jesus' biological father."

"Hm, I guess that I'd never thought of it in that context."

"I really don't know what he's going to do, so he really needs prayer."

"She's due in less than a month."

"Oh, man, I didn't realize it was that close."

"Yeah, it is. So, um, why exactly are you killing man's best friend?"

"Because my stupid mutt totaled my copy of the Resolution."

"No! Really?"

"Yes."

"How did he even reach it?"

"If he stands on his hind legs, he can reach anything that I can, unfortunately. I figure that he leaned against the wall with his forepaws and that was that."

"What are you going to do?"

"Sign another copy, I guess."

"Not in shorts and a t-shirt, right?"

"That sounds like something that Kayla would say." David mocked.

"I'll take that as a compliment.  _Not_ in shorts and a t-shirt,  _right_?"

"If I have to dress up to do this thing all over again, then you and Olivia have to be there with me to see it." He bargained.

"That sounds great. I think that I'd like that. So give me a date whenever, and we'll be there."

"Oh, all right. I'll talk to the guys about it tomorrow."

* * *

June 15, 2012

"Hey, don't forget to tell them what your wonderful dog did yesterday." Amanda reminded David, setting his lunch down in front of him at Aunt Bea's.

"What'd he do?" Javi asked curiously, having joined the guys for their lunch break along with Victoria, Dylan, Kayla and their three kids.

"Destroyed my copy of the Resolution. Gone, trashed."

"No way!" Adam said indignantly.

"Yes way." David shrugged. "Although, I really don't think that I mind."

"Why on earth not?" Kayla asked.

"You sure sounded like you minded last night." Amanda pointed out, handing Jordan his kid's meal.

"Yeah, well, that was last night. I've been thinking about it since then and I think that maybe Duke totaling that thing was a Godsend."

"Are you serious?" Adam asked. "They are going to stuff you in a suit again, aren't they?"

"Suits, dresses, everything." David answered with a nod and a small smile.

"Oh… now we're getting somewhere." Javi said with a smile of his own.

"What?" David asked, feigning innocence.

"'Suits,  _dresses_ , and everything'." Dylan mimicked him.

"I hate to break it to her, but she doesn't do dresses." Jade said.

"You're wrong." David informed her. "I've seen her in one."

"When?" Jade turned to Amanda as she approached their table once again. "When did you wear a dress for him?"

"I did not wear a dress  _for him_ , you little rug rat, I wore a dress, for me, a couple of weeks ago. The first time I came here, actually."

Dylan rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath. Whatever it was that he said, Jade, sitting next to him, slapped him for it.

"See," Amanda gestured towards Jade, saying to Dylan, "This is why she's my favorite."

"Teachers are not supposed to say stuff like that!" Jade objected. "And, besides, I'm in second place, next to Haley Brooks remember?"

Across the table, Bobby cleared his throat. "Um… about Haley… well, there's a couple of things that you need to know."

"About your Haley?" Adam asked curiously.

"Yeah, sort of. But it's going to seriously affect the both of us as a couple. I know that I told Adam that Haley had recently become a Christian. And, you should know first, that yesterday, I did too."

"Bobby, that's awesome!" Adam declared excitedly. "What happened?"

"I was with David practicing at the gun range, and we just got on the topic while talking about Haley" he took a deep breath and ventured, "And Cody."

"Cody?" Adam and Nathan echoed, looking warily between themselves and David.

"Who's Cody?" Adam asked cautiously. David saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. "Because I really don't want a repeat of last month's conversation."

"What was last month's conversation?" Bobby asked.

"That would be my confession concerning my daughter. You're making them nervous."

"Well," Bobby studied his hands for a moment before meeting the eyes of each of the men in turn. "Cody is the baby that Haley is carrying, who, as decided during a very long conversation with Haley last night, is my son in every way but the one that doesn't count."

David saw Nathan and Adam both stifling groans.

"What way doesn't count?" Javi asked.

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Biology."

"So, you didn't actually…" Adam let the thought trail off.

"Get her pregnant?" Bobby asked. "No. That was the work of the dead ex."

He went on to explain the situation, and at the end of that explanation found some much more relaxed friends.

"So," Bobby turned to David. "Is your Resolution signing thing a one man show, or can it be expanded to include yours truly?"

"Really?" Adam asked, getting excited over the change he saw in the young rookie.

Bobby nodded.

"You know," Amanda's voice startled them all as she spoke up hesitantly from behind Bobby. "You may want to rethink that."

Bobby turned towards her with confused eyes that matched David's. "Why?"

"Well," Amanda shifted uncomfortably. "This is a big deal - the Resolution, the kid, especially at your age…"

"Yeah, it is a big deal," Bobby agreed, finishing surely, looking Amanda straight in the eye. "But Haley's my girl, and so far as I'm concerned, Cody's  _my_ kid."

Amanda nodded, smiling at him. "Well then, you know I won't argue with that." She turned, but looked back over his shoulder at him to say, "You're a brave guy. It takes courage to do what you're doing."

 


	15. Chapter 15

June 16, 2012

"Hey, there they are!" Kayla called out.

Looking around the Mitchells' yard full of the people that she was slowly warming up to, Olivia grabbed fistfuls of David's shirt and prepared to hang on tight without letting go. Amanda saw her daughter's eyes brighten as she caught sight of whom Amanda figured must be Isabel Martinez.

"Do you wanna go introduce yourself to her?" David asked Olivia, seeing where her gaze rested.

Olivia shook her head, still watching Isabel and Marcos play with Jordan and Jackson Hayes.

"I'll go with you." David bargained.

"Okay." Olivia decided.

Father and daughter walked off towards the kids as a car pulled in beside Amanda's Camry. Bobby stepped out, but his pretty, redhead girlfriend remained stationed in the passenger seat, scowling.

"She decided that she doesn't want to be here." Bobby informed Amanda under his breath.

"Why?" Amanda asked, figuring that she all ready knew the answer.

"Cody. She thinks that they'll look down on her."

"Bad day, huh?" Amanda asked Bobby, locking gazes with Haley through the windshield of Bobby's car.

"Yeah." He stuffed his hands into his pants' pockets. "She was saying some pretty nasty stuff about herself on her way over here."

"Like what?"

"All the nice Biblical references - Harlot, Rahab, Bathsheba-"

Amanda raised her eyebrows at Haley, not amused, cutting Bobby off and repeating, "Bathsheba?"

Bobby nodded. "Yep. I told her that I thought that you'd have something to say about that one."

"You would be right." Amanda walked over to the passenger side door and yanked it open before Haley could lock it. "Out." She ordered the teenage girl.

"No." Haley refused, crossing her arms over her chest and staring straight ahead.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Come on, Haley, you'll be fine. This is my first time coming to this barbecue thing too, but I know most of the people, and I know that they're great people at that. Just get out and come introduce yourself."

"What if I don't want to?"

"What if I'm not asking?" Amanda countered.

Feeling an argument brewing between the two, Bobby made himself scarce.

Haley turned the scowl onto her former teacher and Amanda returned the gaze just as steadily, if a touch softer.

"Come on, Haley," Amanda murmured. "I know what you're feeling, I get it, but I want to see that pretty ring of yours. Where did it come from?"

Haley smiled a little despite herself, staring down at the engagement ring that she hadn't had the last time Amanda had seen her.

"Robby asked me last night. You won't believe how much Robby has changed this week." Haley murmured. "For a while there, I…" her voice dipped to a whisper, as though she could hardly bear the words coming out of her mouth. "I thought that he might actually break up with me, because of the baby. But, it's amazing, he's totally turned around. I think that he wants Cody as much as I do now."

Amanda smiled. "You're preaching to the choir, you know that, right?"

Haley grinned up at her.

"Come on over and say hi to everybody. They're all dying to meet Bobby's girl."

Haley looked beyond Amanda to the group behind her. She smiled timidly, deciding, "I guess that a few minutes wouldn't hurt anything."

Bobby – whom Haley called Robby because his full name was actually Robert - materialized beside them again as Haley got out of the car. He put one hand between her shoulder blades and took her hand in his other, guiding her forward into the group, as Amanda smiled a melancholy smile, watching them interact. David came up behind Amanda, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

Amanda's smile widened a very little and she put her hand over his, her back still turned towards him. His closeness, his touch, even the scent of his cologne, startled her. "For what?"

"For…" his free hand fluttered towards Bobby and Haley. "I should've been there; I should've done then for you and Olivia what Bobby's doing now for Haley and their baby. I'm sorry for not doing it."

Amanda squeezed his hand and spun under his arm to face him. She smiled up at him, hand in hand with her fiancé. "Don't be. It's done, water under the bridge, so old that it's evaporated by now. So let's leave it in the thin air. Nothing can be done about it."

David nodded. "I'm still sorry that I missed out on so much in my child's life. I wish that I could have a second chance to be there for my kid from the start, ya' know?"

"Maybe you will get another chance," Amanda said thoughtfully. "One day."

David smiled down at her, a love that took her breath away in his eyes. "Maybe I will."

He blinked, breaking the intensity of their gazes, and looked away. He had almost kissed her again. Amanda looked around, glad to see that everyone was clustered around, greeting Haley, and hadn't seen her and David's exchange.

"Maybe we should go over and be sociable ourselves." He suggested.

Amanda nodded, "Yeah," and pulled her hand from his, going to rescue Bobby and Haley from the many questions of Carmen, Kayla, and Victoria.

 


	16. Chapter 16

"So when do you two want to do the Resolution signing?" Adam asked David and Bobby leaning back in his lawn chair.

"I don't know." David shrugged and Bobby copied the action. "Father's Day would be cool, I guess, but that's tomorrow, and that would be rushing it, I'd think."

Adam nodded. "Agreed."

Victoria added, "Besides, I think that it would mean more to the girls, Amanda and Haley, I mean, if you waited until after you were married to sign it."

"Why?" Bobby asked curiously.

Victoria inhaled and tilted her head to the side, thinking. "The paragraph about the wife, that means more - I would think - if you - as this man's wife - can look at yours and your husband's wedding rings, and look at the kids that you share with this man, and see it all laid out before you, instead of having to wait for the wedding; for it to really and truly apply to you." She shrugged. "Just a thought."

"I'm not waiting six months." Bobby said stubbornly. "I want it done before Cody's born."

"I agree with him, six months is too long." David said.

"What about doing it on the thirtieth?" Amanda asked, coming up with Jade.

"Of this month?" Bobby asked.

"Sure." Amanda answered. "Why not?"

"Sounds good to me." David concurred.

"Why?" Adam asked. "What's so special about the thirtieth?"

Amanda looked at David in surprise. "You didn't give them the date yet?"

David opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head.

"Wedding date." Amanda explained, giving them the address. "We're still working out a time."

"What about a dress?" Victoria asked.

"I've got something that'll work." Amanda said, sounding, to David's ears, to be a little on the defense.

Victoria's eyebrows went up. "'Something that'll work'? Honey, this is your wedding we're talking about here!"

"I know." Amanda replied softly.

Did the thought still scare her? By the look that flashed through her eyes, David had to wonder.

* * *

Jade carefully watched her had been teacher with a shrewd gaze. What on earth was going on between David and Amanda? One second they were  _this_ close to kissing – yeah, she had seen them – and the next second, Amanda looked ready to make a run for it.

Jade realized that David and Amanda had a hard history together, but did the idea of being his wife really  _frighten_  her? They were engaged after all. But, then, Jade wouldn't be surprised to hear that her father's rather vocalized opinion of the situation had something to do with it all.

Watching them, together and with Olivia, watching it all happen, was sort of bittersweet. She knew that both David and Amanda were confused about their feelings for each other. No, that wasn't right. David knew that he loved her, had made that clear. He wanted to marry her, he was ready for that. Amanda was confused. He had hurt her, and at times she had trouble seeing beyond the past to the here and now, to the great man that David had become. It was sad, really. But it was also something that David and Amanda were going to have to get through together, and probably on their own.

But she knew that they would get there soon enough. God was at work in them, and even if no one else did, He knew what He was doing, and how it was all going to work out. Because she was certain that it  _would_ all work out.

* * *

June 17, 2012

Amanda listened carefully, curious, as Adam Mitchell spoke about the Resolution, about fatherlessness. On instinct, her arms tightened protectively around Olivia, as if holding her a little closer might keep her from becoming one of the destitute young criminals that Corporal Mitchell spoke about. But then she looked at David, smiling softly - though she knew he was uncomfortable being in front of so many people – his gaze searching for her among the large congregation, and she knew that with his help and their Lord's, their daughter would never go down that road.

His eyes suddenly met hers and she smiled sweetly at him, whispering in Olivia's ear, "Daddy's looking at you."

Olivia smiled brightly and waved carefully, and Amanda saw David move his hand in response, smile widening.

And she realized again that, whether or not she wanted to, she loved the father of her child.

* * *

June 29, 2012

Jade stepped carefully out of the passenger side seat of her mother's car, trying to keep the white sundress that she held from touching the ground.

"Are you sure that you can't come in with me?" Jade asked uncertainly, looking at her mother still in the car.

"I've got to go to the pregnancy center, you know that. I'll be back in forty-five minutes."

"But, Mama, what if she doesn't want it?"

"Then you tried. Do you want to go to the center and then we'll come back here together later?"

Jade considered this before sighing. "No, ma'am. This was my idea anyway. I can do it."

Kayla smiled. "I know you can. You'll be fine. It's just a dress."

"But her fiancé is my brother."

"All the more reason you should do this."

"But, Mama, I'm almost sure that she doesn't want it."

"You won't know that for sure unless you ask her, now will you?"

Jade sighed. "No, ma'am."

"What does it hurt to just offer it then? Nothing. Just offer and if she says 'no' then no it is. Wouldn't you like to know that you tried? And besides," A careful smile found its way onto her mother's face. "What if she says 'yes'?"

Jade grinned a little, knowing that was what her mom wanted to see. "Yeah, what if?"

"Won't know if you don't try." Kayla repeated. She patted Jade's hand and nodded towards Amanda's trailer. "Now, go. I'll be back before you know it."

Jade watched her mother drive away before turning towards the trailer, squaring her shoulders, and making her way up the steps, knocking on the front door.


	17. Chapter 17

Amanda hurried over to answer the door, knowing that Jade would be on the other side of said door. Kayla had called earlier and said that Jade had found something for the wedding that she wanted Amanda to consider. Amanda had a sneaking suspicion that the 'something' was a wedding dress. The women had had a fit when Amanda explained that she didn't have an actual white wedding dress, and had no intention of getting one, despite theirs and even David's protests.

Since the idea of marriage didn't seem real, since it seemed more like a sort of necessary sham, she had a feeling that wearing a real wedding dress might just make it all worse, at least on her own emotional state. Besides that, the white color of wedding dresses was to represent the bride's purity being given to her husband. From that point of view then, the idea of wearing white seemed laughable. If she had reserved herself for her husband, she wouldn't be in this position. Granted, she had never been with anyone besides David… but still, no. She just couldn't bring herself to wear a white dress.

She opened the trailer door and almost sighed, seeing by the dress in the teenager's arms and hope in her eyes that she was going to have to disappoint Jade.

Amanda moved to the side so that Jade could enter saying, "You can come on in, but I'm not wearing that dress."

"I bet Olivia would like it if you did;" Jade answered, unfazed, as she entered. "Where is she?"

Amanda shut the door behind her had been student. "With Carmen for a couple of hours so that I can get the last of the stuff for the wedding together."

Jade nodded and held out the dress, pleading, "Can't you at least try it on?"

"No."

"Just try it on," Jade continued. "Nothing else, just to see what you look like in it. Please. For me?"

Amanda sighed, wavering.

"For me, your second favorite student in the whole, wide world?"

"You won't let up until I do, will you?" Amanda asked with a wry half smile.

Jade shook her head, her own mouth quirking, trying to hold back a grin. "No."

Amanda rolled her eyes and accepted the dress. "All right. But I'm not wearing it in the wedding, are we clear?"

"Uh-huh."

Amanda headed down the hallway to her bedroom and Jade traipsed behind her, waiting in the hallway until Amanda reopened her bedroom door, wearing the dress. Jade took a step back, taking a quick look at the librarian slash waitress, and gasped.

"Amanda, it's beautiful! And you look beautiful in it! You  _have_ to wear it for the wedding!"

That was what Amanda had been afraid she was going to say. She turned and walked back into her bedroom, looking at herself in the full-length mirror.

"I already said that wasn't going to happen." Amanda reminded her firmly.

"But that was before you saw yourself in it." Jade protested. "Look at you! How can you not wear it? David would love it. He'll go nuts if he sees you in this."

Amanda swallowed, not about to admit that the thought of being that intimate with David Thomson again frightened her and yet somehow thrilled her all at the same time. Yet, despite herself, she couldn't help twisting from side to side in front of the mirror, watching the way the white silk swished around her ankles. The dress was pretty; she just didn't feel right about wearing it at her wedding.

"No, Jade, and that's all that there is to it."

Jade huffed and flopped down onto Amanda's bed, lying on her back, legs hanging off at the knees. "Didn't you ever imagine your wedding when you were my age?"

"Sure." Amanda sat down beside Jade on the bed. "Doesn't every little girl, young woman?"

"And weren't you in a white dress then?"

"Well, yes," Amanda admitted. "But this all ready isn't exactly the wedding I had in mind anyway."

Jade looked at her with a strange intensity in her gaze and sat up. "You know," the young woman spoke hesitantly, as if she was searching for the right words as she went along. "One day, you're going to wake up – whether it be on July first of 2012 or of 2042 – and realize what an awesome man you married, what a great husband my brother wants to be to you, and how much he loves you. Because he really does love you, you know. He's crazy about you, and I'm trying to get you to wear that dress as much for him as for you, because I love you both, and I want you both to be happy – together. I know that it'll happen sometime, it will, and I thought that maybe I could give you a shove in the right direction. But if you don't want it, then at least I can know that I tried. Please, can you at least think about it? And not just the dress. I mean about David too. He really, really, loves you, Amanda, and I know that somehow, somewhere within you, you love him too. I guess it's just a little scary, huh? Or a whole lot scary, considering everything that has happened. And I know that I don't know what all that is, and I don't want to know. But I do want you to know that I believe that this is going to work out for you two. God won't just leave you alone and miserable in this marriage. He's got something wonderful planned for you both, I'm sure."

Amanda bit her lip, wishing with her whole heart that she herself was so certain.


	18. Chapter 18

Jade wrung her hands, hoping that she hadn't just majorly overstepped her bounds in saying what she had to her had been teacher. "I – I'm sorry, I-"

"No," Amanda stopped her. "It's alright. You're probably right. Maybe I needed to hear that, I don't know. Hey, wait a second," Amanda's gaze snapped to Jade's, eyes filled with interest. "Did you call David your brother?"

"What? No." Jade shook her head forcefully, flustered by the question.

Amanda smiled, insisting, "Yes. Yes, you did."

"No I didn't." Jade argued.

Amanda crossed her arms over her chest and Jade knew that she had lost the argument. "Alright, fine, I did. But can you please not tell him? Please?"

"Why not?"

"Just… because. Please?"

"Alright." Amanda agreed. "I need to get out of this dress, if you don't mind."

"Okay," Jade sighed in defeat. "But I'm going to leave it here for you to think about when I leave."

Amanda nodded, but Jade knew that she had lost that argument too. Amanda was not going to wear the dress at her wedding. It was a pity, because she really did look great in it.

But then Jade smiled as the thought crossed her mind that when tomorrow came around, David probably wouldn't really care what his bride was wearing. He would think that she was beautiful regardless.

* * *

June 30, 2012

She was absolutely beautiful.

As David stepped up to Pastor Rodgers - hand in hand with Amanda - that was the first thought that registered. Then came the realization that her lip was about to start bleeding, she had worried at it so much in the past couple of days. Her hand was clammy in his, her fingernails biting painfully into his palm, reminding him that this wasn't a happy occasion for her, not really, not right now. Not yet.

And yet she was smiling. No one else here could tell that it was false, a part of the grand put-on that they were going through with. But he could, he knew. And his spirit plummeted.

But out of that grew a steely determination, strengthening with every line of the traditional wedding vows that he repeated. He could prove himself to her, he knew he could. As a father to their daughter, he already had. And now he would prove himself again, this time as a husband.

If it was the last thing that he did, he would do whatever it took to make her happy as his wife. And yet he sensed that, even though here they were saying "I do," that time was going to be a long way in the future.

* * *

"You may now kiss the bride."

Neither Amanda nor David was fully prepared for that line, but least of all Amanda.

Hesitation, an odd touch of sadness, and a terrifying hint of desire came into David's eyes in the moment before he lowered his lips onto hers. She closed her eyes, forcing down the panic that was threatening to strangle her, as every one of her nerve endings jumped into high alert.

This was it, they were married.

No more alternately dreading or wishing for the day to come. It was here and done. Something inside her calmed at the thought.

And she kissed him back.

David instantly broke the contact, and she saw the flicker of surprise in those green eyes of his. Yet he lingered, his breath sweet and warm on her cheek, and she saw the sadness return to his eyes. Because he knew that the kiss was nothing more than a part of the scam, a necessary step, and that it didn't mean anything.

And that was all that it was, right? Right?

They smiled at each other, and this time her smile wasn't half as forced as it had been only moments before.

She wasn't happy exactly; just… she searched for the proper adjective - content? No, relieved, that was it. She was relieved that the ceremony was over. Relieved and confused. Curiosity mixed with dread at the question that then came to mind: Where did they go from here?

* * *

"Where's Olivia?" David asked Amanda later that evening as they were getting ready to go back to his house. Their house now, he figured.

"Um… Marsha kidnapped her for the week. Said she'll give her back to us on the eighth."

David raised his eyebrows, his expression asking why Marsha had done what she had. "Doesn't she have to work?"

"No, she gets paid year-round for the work she does during the school year."

"Oh. That's convenient." A thread of sarcasm found its way into his tone.

"I… um… never got around to explaining everything to her about what was really going on. So she thinks…" Amanda stammered before letting the thought trail off.

"What," David asked. "Did you tell her that we were going on some Hawaiian cruise of a honeymoon or something?"

"No, she knows that we'll still be here in town. But…" Again she trailed off.

"She thinks that we're going to be in honeymoon mode anyway?"

"Yeah." Amanda hadn't met his eyes once yet during the conversation, and he didn't blame her. Not really.

David sighed. "Yeah well." He scuffed the toe of his shoe – he'd changed into a pair of tennis shoes earlier – as he glanced down at the ground. "I didn't get the chance to tell you yesterday or today, but the sheriff informed me yesterday that I was taking the week off. Going back on the ninth."

He heard her inhale sharply. "No way."

"I'm afraid so."

"But… but Aunt Bea made me do the same thing." She practically whimpered.

David sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the headache that had been his constant companion for the entire day. "Oh well. What's a guy to do when he has a good boss? We'll survive one week together."  _Completely alone._

Amanda nodded in agreement, but David could tell in the muted moonlight that she was nibbling on her lip again. By now they had reached her Camry. David took a step ahead of her, opening the passenger side door for her.

He bowed at the waist and smiled. "Milady."

Amanda smiled regally, humor in her eyes as she played along, and gave him a nod of thanks. "Thank you, my king."


	19. Chapter 19

As soon as they stepped into the house, Amanda disappeared down the hallway, heading for the bedroom without a word. It had been a draining day emotionally and mentally, and thereby physically so as well. He didn't blame her for wanting to sleep. Or, as was just as likely, to avoid him.

David sighed and took his new, framed copy of the Resolution off of the table in the kitchen and hung it up in the place that his previous copy had occupied. He pursed his lips, taking a step back and staring at the document before him. Something was missing. His mind flashed back to the other document that had been on the kitchen table, beside the Resolution. His and Amanda's marriage certificate, framed and waiting for a place to hang of its own, thanks to Kayla.

Should he?

He tore at his thumbnail, thinking for a minute, before he got a hammer, nail, and the certificate and hung it beside the Resolution. Then he stepped back again. That looked better.

The day hadn't been all bad. Amanda's smile had been real during the Resolution ceremony, at least. She had obviously loved that part of the day. So had he, if for no other reason than it had made her happy for a little while.

* * *

Amanda stumbled to the doorway of the living room, brought there by the sound of the hammer's recent pounding. What was David doing?

He turned to look at her over his shoulder from his station in front of the two documents now on the wall. "What do you think?" he asked.

Amanda walked cautiously over to stand beside him, remembering what had happened the last time they had stood in front of the Resolution like this. He draped his arm carefully over her shoulders and she mentally ordered herself to relax.

"It looks nice." She answered hesitantly.

"Is it okay that I put that there." He gestured towards their marriage certificate.

Amanda nodded. "It looks good there."

"Amanda?"

She lifted her gaze to his at the concern in his voice, laying the pain bare in her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

She lowered her head, shook it slowly, hating this inexplicable fear she had, and the tears that were pressing painfully against her eyes. She heard David sigh softly. He hooked his index finger under her chin, the gentle pressure forcing her to meet his gaze again.

"We're going to be alright. We can get through this, I know that we can."

Amanda caught the glitter of his brand new wedding band on his finger before she closed her eyes, as his and Jade's words from the previous day swirled in her head. She nodded, gasping softly when David kissed her. His hand moved away from her face, to her waist, and she took a step back, lowering her head again, and trying to slow the hammering of her heart.

David dropped his hands to his sides, sensing that he had done something that had made her uncomfortable.

"Not yet." Amanda begged, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's alright." David promised. "Take as much time as you need. You waited for me all these years; I can do the same for you."

She hadn't been waiting on him, but if that was how he wanted to look at it, if he gave her her space and time to adjust, than she wouldn't contradict him.

She nodded again before informing him, "I'm going to go to bed."

"Do you want something to eat for supper first?"

She shook her head, knowing that she couldn't stomach anything even if she tried.

"Okay." He understood.

David followed her into the bedroom, getting his own pajamas in advance and as she watched curiously, he opened the closet door and pulled a stack of sheets and blankets from on top of the top shelf.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Giving you your space." He answered, heading for the door.

"David, you don't have to, I can take the couch. This is your house."

He raised his eyebrows, turning to face her from the bedroom doorway. "It's your house now too, you know. And besides, I'm not going to make the lady sleep on the couch. What kind of a Southern gentleman do you think I am?"

It was a rhetorical question, she knew, and she managed a small smile for him.

"Good night, Amanda."

"Good night." She replied.

David flipped off the light and walked out. Amanda pulled back the covers before burrowing underneath them up to her chin. Her thoughts were awhirl from the events of the day; her lips still tingled from those two kisses whenever she thought of them. She was confused and overwhelmed, and here in the comfort of the silent, secluding darkness, she let the tears fall. So many of them until violent sobs shook her body.

* * *

David paused outside the bedroom door, hearing the sobbing coming from the other side of the door, from Amanda. From his wife. And yet he knew better then to try and help her. Right now that would be the last thing that she would want. But he just couldn't do nothing.

He looked around for inspiration, before his eyes rested on the dog at his side. She wouldn't let David help her, but maybe she would let Duke.

David pointed into the bedroom. "Duke, go."

The dog pushed the door open with his nose and squeezed through the crack, widening it so that David could stand in the shadows and watch without Amanda seeing him. He heard Amanda gasp and saw her bolt upright, looking wide-eyed at the door. He saw the tears shimmering in her red-rimmed eyes in the shaft of light coming from the hallway, still trailing down her cheeks.

And then she caught sight of Duke, smiled wryly. "Hey, giant." She whispered hoarsely. "Daddy's not in here."

Duke stopped at the edge of the bed, looked up at her with wide, brown eyes, an almost human quality to his stare.

"What?" Amanda asked. "Do you want up here?"

Duke blinked.

"Alright." Amanda patted the bed. "Come on up. I won't tell David if you won't."

Duke jumped obediently up onto the bed, settling down beside Amanda. He raised his head from his paws, licked the salty tears from her cheeks, and nuzzled her shoulder, trying to console her as David watched and wished that she would allow him to help her. Amanda slid back onto her back and Duke moved closer. Amanda wrapped her arms around the dog's neck, buried her face in his shaggy coat, and David saw her shoulders begin to shake as she started crying again.

David swallowed, watching and listening, torturing himself, until her tears finally stopped and his troubled bride fell into a fitful sleep.

 


	20. Chapter 20

Early the next morning, David grabbed from off of the coffee table the small, brown, leather journal that Caleb and Catherine had loaned him at the wedding yesterday – the Love Dare - and flipped it open to the first page while he was still burrowed under the covers on the couch.

_My son, this forty day journey cannot be taken lightly. It is a challenging and often difficult process, but an incredibly fulfilling one. If you will commit to a day at a time for forty days, the results could change your life. And your marriage. Consider it a dare, from others who have done it before you._

Under that, a list of couples had signed it:

_Cheryl and John Holt_

_Caleb and Catherine Holt_

_Terrell and Lauren Sanders_

_Michael and Tina Simmons_

_Gavin and Layne Keller_

Well, if they could do it, then so could David. He flipped to the next page.

_Day one – Love is patient._

_The first part of this dare is fairly simple. Although love is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. For the next day,_ _resolve to demonstrate_ _patience and to say nothing negative_ _to your spouse at all. If the temptation_ _arises, choose not to say anything. It's_ _better to hold your tongue than to say something you'll regret._

_Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (James 1:19, KJV)_

David closed the book and set it back down on the coffee table. That sounded easy enough. He didn't figure that she'd want to talk much anyway. He yawned and flung back the blanket that he had been covered with before stumbling into the kitchen still half asleep.

He jumped, instantly and entirely awake, when he saw Amanda standing at the table and pouring a bowl of cereal for herself. When had she gotten up?

"Morning, milady." He offered.

"Oh," she glanced his way. "Good morning."

Silence reigned as David made his way to Duke's food and water dishes only to see that Amanda had already filled them. The dog himself was standing sentry beside his new mistress, tongue lolling. He pushed at Amanda's arm with his nose and she absently ran her hand over his head. David smiled at the two of them, smiling. It looked like Duke had found a new favorite.

David grabbed a bowl of his own from the cabinet, glad that the air between him and Amanda was a little more sufferable than it had been last night. Breathable, almost friendly. She handed him the box of cereal and motioned to one of the few notes on the refrigerator.

"That college reunion get-together thing is tonight." She said, asking, "Are you going?"

"I don't know. I'd forgotten about it. Do you want to?"

She shrugged. "I don't care. It's over an hour and a half away, but it would give us something to do."

"Then I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

Amanda nodded and headed into the living room with her breakfast. Duke darted ahead of her, and when David followed behind them he found dog and woman curled up side by side on the couch. David rolled his eyes at his dog's apparent switch of sides and settled in the lazy boy.

He bowed his head in a quick, silent prayer and then chuckled at the sight of his withdrawn wife's position on the couch. Duke had laid his head on her lap, so she was holding her bowl over his head while eating and reading the book that she had laid on the couch on her other side. Never mind the fact that she was decked out in a matching, fuzzy, pink pajama shirt and pants set with a cupcake print on them and covered with the blankets that he had used as a part of his makeshift bed. This was a side of her that he had never seen before – Amanda in the morning. She seemed more relaxed, and she was possibly as pretty as he had ever seen her right then, bed head and all.

"What?" Amanda asked in confusion, having heard his laughter.

He shook his head, still smiling, and licked his lips before answering, "It's nothing. I guess I just wasn't expecting-" He gestured at the scene that she and Duke made. "-This."

"I do look stupid, don't I?" she asked, smiling at herself.

"Nah." David smiled. "I like it."

Amanda rolled her eyes, but not before she caught the reserve that flashed through her eyes. "Men. I look awful and I know it. Don't lie to me, you won't hurt my feelings."

"You look beautiful, milady." David assured her, grinning.

She grinned back. "Well, thank you, gorgeous."

David nodded. "You're welcome. And besides, I don't blame you for wanting to be comfortable. I feel like a pajama day myself, if we're just going to be hanging around here."

"Oh, I agree. Pajama days are wonderful things, aren't they?" She lifted a spoonful of cereal in a sort of toast, grinning. "To pajama days."

"To pajama days." David agreed, lifting his own spoon. He laughed. "We are nuts."

"The worst." Amanda agreed.

"Nah… I wouldn't have you any other way."

She chuckled. "No, you wouldn't."

So she thought herself crazy for marrying him? He mentally shrugged it off. Maybe she was right. Time would tell.

"So how does PJ day and a movie marathon sound?" David asked.

"Lazy… and absolutely wonderful." She decided.

"Good." David set down his cereal and crouched in front of the entertainment center crammed with DVDs. "So what kind of movies do we feel like? Action? Black and white? Romantic comedy? Animated? I've got a little bit of everything."

Amanda arched her eyebrows and freed herself from the blankets and Duke, coming over to sit on the floor beside him. She ran her fingertips over the spines of the DVD covers, reading the titles. She stopped at one large case that contained an entire series.

"You have every episode of  _The Andy Griffith Show_?"

David smiled. "Adam, Shane, and my old partner, Jack Bryant, got that for me when I first started in the department. I haven't watched much of them though."

"Do you mind?"

He shrugged. "Not at all."

She pulled the case off of the shelf and chose a DVD which she handed to him. He got the show going and then turned around, intending to go back to his chair. His dog obviously had different ideas, as Duke has decided to take said chair over.

"Get off." David ordered the animal.

"Aw, leave the poor old guy alone." Amanda spoke up pityingly and patted the couch. "There's plenty of room over here, and I promise that I won't bite."

David was surprised at the offer, but he wasn't about to complain. Still, he sat on the side of the couch farthest away from her.

* * *

Amanda worried her lip for a second, thinking, before she grabbed David's pillow and flung it farther down on the couch, beside him. She lay down, shoulders on the pillow, head halfway on her husband's lap. He was obviously surprised by this move as she looked down at her face. She grinned softly up at him, both of them as uncertain as the other but both figuring out that, hey, this might not be so bad. He grinned back, boyish and unsure, before turning his eyes back to the show.

Amanda, warm, comfortable, and sleep-deprived, soon drifted off. When she woke back up, still in a hazy dream state with her eyes closed, she felt the weight of one of David's arms draped across her stomach and the tingling pleasure of his other hand running through her hair. She almost gasped, but kept herself perfectly still, not wanting him to stop, and knowing that he would if he knew that she was awake.

He laughed at some funny line from the show that was still playing and she grinned to herself. She edged her hand onto her stomach and caught David's hand in hers, still overly relaxed from her nap. David inhaled sharply and shifted, trying to release all contact, but her grip on his hand tightened.

"It's okay." She said, voice hoarse from sleep. She opened her eyes and sat up, regretting alerting him to her wakefulness. "How long was I asleep?"

"Just one episode."

"Okay."

She grabbed the blanket and scooted close to him, hooking the blanket behind one of her shoulders and draping it over both him and her.

Just thinking about the present, shoving away thoughts of the past for the first time since the wedding.

She curled into him and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him smile as he draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her a little closer. Under the blanket, his hand found hers before he placed a hesitant kiss against her scalp.

"I love you, David Thomson. Just don't let me forget it. Deal?"

"Deal."

She leaned away from him and turned his face towards her, sealing the deal with a careful kiss. When she leaned away, slight shiver coursed through David, whose eyes were still closed.

"Baby steps?" she whispered.

"Baby steps." He opened his eyes and agreed before adding hesitantly, "Just… don't let me forget it."

"Deal."

She laid her head on his chest and the both made a pretense of turning their attention back to the television.


	21. Chapter 21

Later on during the day, Amanda was taking a break from  _Andy Griffith_ to find homes in the bedroom for the last of her clothes. The last thing that she put away was the yellow dress that she had worn for her wedding. She smoothed out the creases after putting it on the hanger, pausing when she felt something in one of the pockets. She grabbed the piece of paper that she found inside the pocket, wondering how and when it had gotten there.

And then she recognized the handwriting on the paper. Jade. So she read the poem, figuring that her outspoken young friend had left it there on purpose.

 _Cinderella walked on broken glass._ __  
Sleeping Beauty let a whole lifetime pass.  
Belle fell in love with a hideous beast.  
Jasmine married a common thief.  
Arial walked on land for love and life.  
Snow White barely escaped a knife.  
It was all about blood, sweat, and tears.  
Because love means facing your biggest fears.

Amanda stared at the poem on the crinkled paper.  _Facing your biggest fears…_  Yeah, that summed her emotions up very well. Because right now, being in love, or getting to that point, felt pretty scary. In an oddly nice way, she would admit.

And she knew that if she could just let go of the past, let go of that last string, she could and would fall totally and completely for David Thomson. But the sole question that held her back: would he be there to catch her whenever she fell? Not just for him, but in life?

"Hey, Amanda?"

Amanda shoved the thoughts away, shoved the poem into her pocket, and whirled to face David, who was standing in the bedroom doorway. "Yeah?"

"Are you going to want something for lunch? I can make something if you're not done in here."

"Uh, I've just got a couple of things left, but if you're offering, I won't turn you down."

"Are sandwiches okay then?"

She nodded. "Fine." He turned to go but she stopped him with a "hey."

He turned back around to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Are you planning on coming all the way back here after the get together tonight, or are you going to want to stop at a hotel for the night?"

"Hotel would be easier, wouldn't it?"

"Okay."

"So you pack and I get lunch together?"

She nodded and he headed back down the hallway after finding a suitcase for her. Her thoughts flew away again, so she wasn't really paying attention to what she was packing. But she had bigger things on her mind as she shoved hers and David's clothes in the suitcase.

Her tasks in the bedroom completed, she headed into the kitchen. "Do you need me to help you with anything?" she offered.

"Nope, I just finished." He answered, handing her a plate holding a grilled cheese and potato chips. She grinned when he turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of cheese dip. "For you, milady." He handed it to her with a flourish.

"You noticed."

He grinned. "Of course I noticed."

"Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and headed into the living room with David on her heels.

Amanda curled up on one side of the couch and Duke jumped up beside her, looking eagerly at her food. David grinned at his pet as he sat down on the other side of the dog.

"Move, Dog." Amanda pushed Duke off of the couch.

David laughed. "What happened to 'leave the poor old guy alone'?"

"Well, he wasn't going after my food then." Amanda explained away her action, moving on the couch to sit beside David.

"Uh-huh." He grinned knowingly, not believing her story, and put his arm back around her shoulders.

She blushed and smiled.

As they were polishing off the last of their lunch, David remarked, "Has it occurred to you that Helen is a teacher?"

"Do what?"

" _Andy Griffith_ 's Helen is a teacher. And they eventually got married."

"Yeah," Amanda grinned, teasing, "But Andy is  _sheriff_."

"Hey," David yelped. "In time. I have to come up with my master plan for the takeover, you know."

"You're delusional."

"I am not."

"Oh," she nodded. "I see. And do you have delusions like this often, Deputy Thomson?"

"No, Mrs. Thomson, I do not." He said with a role of his eyes.

Amanda's retort froze in her throat. Merriment vanished from her eyes as the truth hit her.  _Mrs. Thomson._ David saw her expression change, and his own became serious as well. She reached up to cup his cheek, his arm tightened around her shoulders, and he kissed her breathless. She waited until he pulled away.

It surprised her when he scrambled off of the couch, took their plates, and headed into the kitchen with them. She heard him murmur the reminder to himself under his breath."Baby steps."

Amanda sat slowly back against the couch, trying to decide if she was glad that he had walked away when he had. As she listened, she heard him start washing the dishes. Putting distance between them, distance that he thought that she wanted. So why wasn't she so sure?

Another moment's thought and Amanda hurried down to the bedroom before she could change her mind. She yanked open one of her dresser drawers and grabbed the new, short, silk gown – recently acquired courtesy of a forced shopping trip with Marsha - and shoved it in the bottom of the suitcase.

Just in case.

* * *

"I put the suitcase in the car." David informed Amanda, stepping back into the house.

"Okay." She smoothed her hands over her clothes - another dress, he noticed – and asked, "Do you think that this looks okay?"

He took a step back, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed her outfit. "Have you seen the Abraham Lincoln Gieco commercial?"

"Yes." She snapped, glaring playfully.

"Well, in that case, you, milady, are absolutely stunning."

She grinned and stepped up to him, giving him a quick kiss. "That was a sorry save, Thomson."

He snaked his arms around her waist, venturing with his tone loaded with meaning, "Are you sure that we can't just stay here? I'm sure that I could find a way to make it up to you."

"David." Some of the previous night's hesitancy came back into his wife's eyes as she removed his arms from around her waist and took a step back, tone admonishing.

He stifled a sigh. "Well - in that case – let's go back to college."


	22. Chapter 22

Amanda worried at her lip as the imposing structure that was Valdosta State University came into view. Going back to the campus with David Thomson at her side? Not a good plan. This promised to bring back a lot of unwanted memories. What had she been thinking to come here? She had been thinking that she was going to need to put space between herself and David, if only for a few hours.

And what about later on, at the hotel, alone with him?

She leaned forward, resting her forehead on the dashboard and clenching her shaking hands in her lap as panic threatened to overwhelm her good senses once again. She felt David's worried gaze rest on her as he put her car in park.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Too much." She whispered. "Too soon."

"Too many memories." He solemnly clarified what she was trying to get out. "Yeah, I understand."

Amanda looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and saw that he did understand. That the memories that were hers were his too, at least the things that had gone on between the two of them.

"Do we need to go back home? Because we can, if you don't think that you can…"

He trailed off as she started shaking her head. "I'll be alright."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, smiled weakly at him. The jacket in the backseat of the car caught her eye and she grinned before grabbing it and handing it to her husband. David smiled and shrugged into the red VSU jacket.

They got out of the car, walking step in step towards the gym where the small get-together was being held. "So how much are we willing to tell them?" Amanda asked. "Because since it's just the athletic groups, they all know us. What happened between us. They're going to ask. I still prefer the being happily married story over telling the truth."

"Even if that story's a lie?"

Amanda met his gaze. "Maybe it's not a lie."

David kicked at the asphalt. "Amanda, don't. We both know better."

Amanda sighed. "So, if they ask, we tell them that we got married yesterday."

He nodded. "They can make their own assumptions from there on out, I say."

"Fine by me."

David opened the gym door for her and bowed at the waist with a courtly motion of his hand. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the gym behind her.

It took exactly three seconds for some of David's old basketball buddies to pull him away, and as he walked away with them, Amanda's old roommate, Kasey, approached her hesitantly, watching David.

"Was that David Thomson?"

"Hi, Kasey. How have you been?" Amanda tried to stop that conversation before it started.

The blonde with crimped hair and piercingly blue eyes turned her sharp gaze directly onto Amanda. " _What_ are you doing here with him? Last I heard – which, by the way, was less than two months ago - you still hated him."

"Yeah, well, not so much anymore."

"And why not?"

"God got a hold of him in some pretty big was, Kase. He wrote me, said that he wanted to be a part of Olivia's life. We just went from there."

"So you're just friends?" Kasey's gaze shot to Amanda's left hand and her hand came to her forehead. "No, of course you're not. When did that happen?" she nodded towards the ring.

"Yesterday." Had really only been yesterday? It felt like forever ago.

"So… what? You're legitimizing Olivia and then getting an annulment or something? Please tell me that's what you're doing."

"The idea hadn't even crossed my mind, and, no, that's not what we're going to do. I…" Amanda turned to watch David messing around with some of his old team and a basketball. "I'm not sure that I would even want to."

"But you're not sure that you  _wouldn't_  want to either." Kasey pointed out, dragging Amanda over to sit on a sideline bench.

Amanda didn't answer and Kasey sighed at her silence.

"You're miserable, aren't you?" Kasey asked, though she barely managed to make it a question.

"I was last night, but now… no, no I'm not."

"And what changed within the space of a day?"

Amanda shrugged. "I guess that I made myself relax. And, besides," Amanda, smiling, leaned in and revealed to the friend who had been there to help her throughout each turbulent day of college. "He's a really good kisser."

Kasey laughed, shocked that Amanda had even said such a thing. "Okay, fine," Kasey looked at David, still oblivious and horsing around with the basketball boys, before she turned back to Amanda. "He's a very nice  _looking_  guy, but if I recall correctly – and I'm sure that I do – he had a seriously long way to go before he became a nice  _acting_ guy."

"But he is now; that's what I've been trying to tell you. He's wonderful."

"So you manage to go from hating the guy to loving him in less than two months?"

"Yeah… I think so."

Kasey leaned back, halfway rolling her eyes. "Okay." She said skeptically. "Then answer me this: If you're so in love, and you got married yesterday, why exactly aren't you on a honeymoon or something?"

Amanda put her head in her hands for a second before moving them to massage her temples. "Because it's complicated. And we wanted to stay near Albany for Olivia's sake. So we've got the week off and we're blowing it at the house with his dog and an  _Andy Griffith_ marathon."

"Oh," another eye roll from Kasey. " _That_ sounds like the perfect honeymoon."

Amanda blushed. "Well, we're spending the night at a hotel tonight, and I think I'm going to make sure that it is."

"Wow." Kasey's eyes widened. "Okay. Who are you and what have you done with Amanda?"

"I'm still Amanda, just not Mommy Amanda, life I've been for the past four and a half years." Amanda explained.

"Does that mean that Pre-Pregnancy, Cheerleader Amanda is being let back out of her cage?"

Amanda smirked, not sure what had come over her, but not minding whatever it was. "Hey, why not? We are on a college campus, aren't we?"

Kasey smiled. "Oh, this is going to be fun to watch."

"Hey, y'all!" A man that Amanda recognized as Kasey's husband hollered over the din. "How about a nice slow dance to get things started tonight? Grab a girl if you got one, and if you don't, I'm sure that somebody here'll be glad to stand in!"

"Go get him, tigress." Kasey whispered in Amanda's ear.


	23. Chapter 23

_Amanda twisted around in her seat to look at her roommate when she heard Kasey's loud sigh._

" _Enough staring already," Kasey said."Just go over there!"_

" _What?" Amanda asked, feigning innocence._

" _You've been staring at that guy all night!" Kasey said, rolling her eyes. "What's his name anyway?"_

" _David Thomson. And I have not been staring!" Amanda objected over the noise of the blaring party music, flushing guiltily all the while._

" _Yes, you have! Now just g – Oh, oh boy. Don't look now."_

" _What?"_

_She went to turn around and look, but Kasey grabbed her arm. "I said don't look. He's watching. Oh, he's coming, he's coming!" Kasey squealed, leaning in so close that Amanda could smell the beer on her breath._

" _Kasey!" Amanda jerked her arm out of her friend's grip. "You've been drinking!"_

" _It's a college party; everybody's doing it, even you."_

" _Yeah, but I'm not drunk!"_

" _Enough about me right now!" Kasey ordered in exasperation, glimpsing once more over Amanda's shoulder. She leaned in again, whispering one more piece of advice in Amanda's ear before leaving her alone. "Go get him, tigress."_

* * *

The memory replayed itself in Amanda's mind in the moment before David came to a standstill in front of her, hand outstretched.

"Do you wanna dance?" David asked cautiously.

Amanda smiled uncertainly and laid her hand in his, nodding. He pulled her to her feet and led her to the middle of the crowd of their dancing classmates.

They swayed slowly to the music for a second before she laid her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, letting the semi-familiar scents of the gym and David pull her back into that night.

* * *

_Amanda watched Kasey disappear and then did a slow one-eighty in her chair, knowing who she would find staring back at her._

" _Amanda, right?" He asked, jumping casually up to sit on the countertop._

_She nodded mutely, uncertain what to say._

" _I'm David."_

_Another nod before she managed to find her tongue._

" _I know. You, ah, played a good game out there tonight."_

" _Thanks. You didn't look too bad yourself with that routine you did."_

_He didn't bother to try disguising his intentions as his gaze brazenly roamed over her. Her entire face flamed as she toyed nervously with the beer that Kasey had shoved into her hands earlier in the night._

_David grinned at her. Butterflies exploded in her stomach at that smile as he asked, "You don't come to these parties very often, do you?"_

_She shook her head. "Kasey dragged me here."_

" _What?" he leaned in close, trying to hear quiet her over the noise._

" _My roommate, Kasey. "_

" _Where's this Kasey now?" David asked._

" _I don't know. She usually spends the night somewhere else after one of these things."_

_David's grin widened and he ran his fingertips over her arm, causing gooseflesh to pop up over her entire body. "Smart girl. What about you?"_

" _What?" Amanda asked; her ability to think coherently slipping momentarily under his attention. "You mean, do I ever… No. No, definitely not."_

" _Never?" David drawled suggestively._

_Amanda opened her mouth, but nothing came out._

" _Because you're just so good looking that I can't believe that no one has picked you up yet tonight, let alone ever."_

_Amanda tried again to talk, but, again, nothing came out, and both she and David knew that he was winning her over._

" _Come on." David leaned in, kissing her softly, and added, "You'll never know if you don't try." He kissed her again and her beer clattered unnoticed to the floor. "Come on, let's get out of here. Please? Just one night? How much could one night change anything?"_

* * *

And just like that, she had followed him back to the dorms and absolutely  _everything_ had changed. Looking back now, she saw how naïve – how stupid - she had been. And how very different the David that she had married was from the David that she had met that night.

And she practically felt the last string that had been holding her back snapping, flapping freely, and no longer holding her back.

She opened her eyes, met David's soft gaze, and asked, "Did you call ahead and make a reservation at a hotel?"

"Yeah." He answered, confused.

"Then" she said softly, meaningfully, "Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

David had prepared himself for a lot of different reactions from his wife because of coming to this reunion, but this – the love in her eyes, the request that he remembered all too well – he hadn't even dared consider this. His arms tightened around her and he swallowed with some difficulty.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She kissed him, her answer plainly conveyed therein, and said, "You tell me." A knowing glint entered her eyes as she asked, "After all, what could it change?"

"Everything." He answered instantly.

"Good." He blinked in surprise at the certainty in that one word. "David, I want us to change, and I know that you want it too. I want us – and our marriage – to be real. I want… I want to be your wife, David. In each and every way."

David Thomson couldn't remember the last time he had gotten chills, but right then they were coursing through his entire body. Because this was real, not a wish, not a dream, not a memory, not a prayer, but happening right now, right in front of him. His wife, ready and as willing as ever to be completely his.

David didn't say a word; he couldn't have even if he had wanted to. He just took her hand and led her towards the door.

Once they arrived at their hotel room, he sat uncertainly on the edge of the bed, tearing nervously at his fingernails as he waited for Amanda to reemerge from the bathroom.

When he heard the bathroom door open, before she came around the corner and into his line of sight, he asked for what had to be at least the tenth time, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, husband." She answered with a patient smile, stepping out so that he could see her. His heart stopped. "Do you like?" she asked.

He nodded dumbly, saying the only thing that came to mind. "Gorgeous."

She laughed, sitting on the bed and sliding her arms around his neck. "David Thomson, I think that it's time for you to get your wish… and your wife."


End file.
